Police to get tough on offenders

By ELIAS LARI
POLICE in Western Highlands will arrest people who do not follow Covid-19 directives, provincial police commander Jacob Kamiak says.
Western Highlands Covid-19 coordination team leader and provincial administrator Joseph Neng confirmed that the ban on the sale of liquor on night clubs and other forms of entertainment, including gambling and gatherings in the province, were still in effect and those who did not comply would be dealt with by police.
Kamiak said some people were still ignoring state and provincial orders by drinking alcohol, selling on streets as well as other activities that had been banned.
Neng said the coordination team would need the support of community leaders, church groups as well as women’s and youth groups to drive the awareness.
He said some markets such as Kaiwe, Kalakai, Kamnanga and others within the city had been closed but people were still vending.
“In order for us to prevent Covid-19, we have to listen and follow the instructions to save our lives and for the others,” Neng said.
He said shops and fuel stations had to close before 5pm and the movement of people had to stop by 7pm.
Kamiak said the work of the provincial Covid-19 monitoring coordination team was to monitor travel, movement and business activities.
He said check points had been set up to enforce the state of emergency (SOE) orders to monitor the movement of people and prevent the spread of the virus.
“What we are doing is for everyone’s good and we need your cooperation and support to work as a team,” Kamiak said.
He said some people were still smuggling betel nuts while liquor outlets were still selling alcohol.
He said the careless actions of a few people could put their communities at risk.