Provincial borders shut down

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EAST New Britain has initiated a month-long lockdown to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in the province.
A circular obtained by The National showed the province had shut its borders after a recent surge in cases.
Provincial administrator Wilson Matava in the circular stated that the borders of the province were closed from April 5 to May 4 as they worked to ensure the positive cases did not continue to rise.
In a situation report, the province reported seven new cases on Sunday, with 85 cases still active.
The accumulative total has confirmed cases at 445, with 359 recovered, and two deaths.
Matava said the province was vigilant in managing the first two cases in 2020, however, over a period of one year, “our complacency has allowed this disease to not only enter but also to spread within community clusters and to all sectors.”
“This situation has overwhelmingly put our provincial health system in a stressful situation where health workers are immediate victims and health institutions are now avenues for further spread,” he said.
“While the current upsurge has directly resulted in an overwhelming health system, there is already evidence of social and community disorders resulting from lack of business growth and increased unemployment.”
He said a lockdown of the provincial boundaries would be effected with entry points to the province controlled while travelling into ENB through the New Britain Highway would be banned; the ban applied to Amio, Melkoi LLG.
Boats will be following approved entry points at ToKunar, passage next to Kabaira from WNB and at JJ Seeto beachfront in Kokopo from New Ireland.