PNG students to return

BY REBECCA KUKU
SEVENTEEN Papua New Guinea students studying in Wuhan City who were evacuated by the New Zealand government and quarantined for 14 days outside of Auckland will return home on Thursday.
Wuhan Papua New Guinea Students president Christian Tarkap told The National that the 14-day quarantine period will end tomorrow (Wednesday).
“All students went through a successful quarantine process and will be cleared by the New Zealand department of health and issued certificates to verify their health status,” he said.
“The certificates will be issued to us on Wednesday when the quarantine period officially ends.”
Tarkap said the PNG High Commission was in consultation with the PNG Foreign Affairs and International Trade Department to ensure that “all proceedings were verified with strict monitoring.”
“We’ve met all the legal requirements to depart from New Zealand and are confirmed to return home on Thursday. However, due to the space availability on Air Niugini, only 14 will be on the Thursday flight and the other three will return on the Friday flight,” he said.
Tarkap said the students would fly in to Port Moresby and transit to their home provinces.
He thanked New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the NZ government for stepping in and evacuating them from the epicentre of the global emergency outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan.
“It was a huge relief for us as we were stranded in a foreign land when the virus first broke out,” Tarkap said. “I also would like to acknowledge the PNG Embassy in Beijing for their tireless and continuous support, the acting Ambassador Vincent Sumale and first secretary Farapo Korere.
“I also thank the Office of the PNG High Commission in Wellington, New Zealand, for their swift action in responding to and assisting the students on time with necessary immigration needs for departure.” Tarkap also thanked PNG High Commissioner to New Zealand Francis Agwi for visiting them. He also thanked New Zealand’s Department of Health, Department of Police, Department of Defence, Red Cross and all support staffs who contributed to their safety and health and ensuring they were “virus free”.