PNG students arrive in NZ

By REBECCA KUKU
SEVENTEEN PNG students studying in Wuhan City, China arrived safely in Auckland yesterday along with New Zealand citizens evacuated from that coronavirus-plagued city by their government.
NZ Foreign Affairs and Trade office said in a statement that the 17 from PNG were among 182 people who boarded the plane in Wuhan.
There were 90 New Zealand citizens, 23 Australian citizens and 69 from other countries including PNG, Samoa, Kiribati, Tonga and Fiji.
“Some passengers chose not to catch the flight and took their names of the manifest, and 60 did not arrive at the airport (without notice),” the statement said.
“One was denied boarding the plane due to failing the health pre-screening check at the airport.”
The aircraft arrived in Auckland at 6pm yesterday.

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Patrick Pruaitch said two PNG students were left behind in Wuhan – one elected to stay back and one could not make it to the airport.
“The (PNG) embassy (in Beijing) respects her decision (to stay back) as similar decisions have been made by other Pacific island students in Wuhan,” he said.
Wuhan PNG Students Association president Christian Tarkap told The National that 17 of the 19 students whose names were on the manifest boarded the plane.
He said in a message on WhatsApp he sent at 4.30pm that they had arrived in Auckland.
“We are going through Immigration and other checks,” Tarkap said.
The 17 students will be quarantined in New Zealand for 14 days before they fly to PNG.
The Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology is expected to foot the cost of their flight from Auckland to Port Moresby after the 14 days of quarantine.
Pruaitch thanked the NZ Government for assisting PNG and other Pacific island nations students leave Wuhan. “This act of kindness demonstrates their commitment and close ties to the people of the Pacific, including PNG. I also thank Australia and other bilateral partners who offered support and assistance through formal diplomatic channels.
“We appreciate their humanitarian gestures during this global health emergency,” he said.
Families and relatives of PNG citizens affected by travel bans and coronavirus outbreak precautionary measures to contact the department’s Help Desk Team.