PNG Ports clarifies Delta boat claims

PNG Ports Corporation Limited says the vessel which had the country’s first single positive Covid-19 case with the delta mutation never anchored at its Motukea facility outside of Port Moresby.
The PNG Covid-19 National Pandemic Response deputy controller Dr Daoni Esorom earlier this month identified the case as a 65-year-old male ship captain from Philippines.
Dr Daoni said the captain became unwell while at sea after leaving Indonesia last month and the ship arrived in Port Moresby on July 7 where he was escorted to a private hospital.
PNG Ports managing director Fego Kiniafa explained that “at no point did the vessel arrive at the Motukea port which is owned by PNG Ports Corporation Limited nor was the vessel handled by PNG Ports or its pilotage team”.
“The ship crew members were tested out at sea by PNG health officials, and the vessel remains at anchor off Port Moresby,” he said.
“PNG Ports, in its drive to protect its employees, has introduced stringent preventative measures in place at all its ports, since January 2020, in line with the ‘Niupela Pasin’.
“All international ships upon arrival are required to be cleared by health quarantine officials of the Health Department at the designated outer anchorage area, before any other officials, particularly the marine pilots, board the vessels and brings them into the allocated port facility berths or inner anchorage areas.
“The marine pilots are the only PNGPCL employees given the sole mandate to board foreign vessels for the purpose of piloting for safe navigation into and out from ports, and are strictly required to be in full personal protective equipment and abide by contact-less social distancing protocol.”
Kiniafa said the pilotage crew, taking the marine pilots via pilot boat to the incoming vessels at anchorage, were not required to board vessels, which followed with the Pandemic Controller’s directives, and there were no crew exchanges whether from shore to ship or ship to shore.
As part of its precautionary measures, PNG Ports also arranged for all frontline working staff to take part in the nationwide voluntary vaccination programme.
Kiniafa said the pilotage team was among the first to be vaccinated and most have received both their first and second doses.