State of emergency
By REBECCA KUKU
A STATE of emergency has been declared, effective for 14 days from tomorrow, as the first case of coronavirus in the country was confirmed last Friday.
School holidays have also been brought forward to today, for 14 days too, but may be extended.
There are also restrictions on the movement of people as the country goes into a partial lockdown.
Prime Minister James Marape assured the nation that everything possible was being done to stop the spread of the pandemic.
“May I assure all not to be alarmed. We have established procedures now to deal with cases that are established to stop them from spreading as we have done with this Lae case,” Marape said.
“Our strategy remains the same: Stop Covid-19 from coming into our country, stop it from spreading and stop it from killing.
“Our national response team is on standby to attend to this crisis. I assure the people to be calm and do their part by practising good hygiene and healthy practices.”
The 45-year-old man had arrived in Port Moresby on Saturday March 14 from Spain via Singapore, and then onto Lae where he is employed. He was tested after he got sick early last week. On Wednesday he was listed as a “probable” case.
“The confirmed case is the same probable case from last Wednesday who was tested negative later that evening. However, that was from the first test done,” Marape told the nation last Friday.
The samples were sent to the PNG Institute of Medical Research (in Goroka) for testing.
“The first test was negative but the second test came out positive. The third test has been sent to Melbourne,” he said.
The third test is to ensure the man is cleared of the Covid-19 before he is released back into society.
Marape said the 10 people who came into contact with the man had shown no symptoms of Covid-19.
“Our team was able to trace his steps and contacts in country. The 10 are all under observation for public safety.”
Marape said all international flights would be restricted.
“We will be conducting clearance checks on all those who had travelled in in the past 15 days,” he said.
“If there is a need to extend the seven-day restriction on international flights, then we will do it.”
Marape said a “suspect” case was being quarantined at the Murray Barracks in Port Moresby.
“So far there were 19 samples tested and all were negative except for one.”
4 comments
This one has already flip through our fingers, we would have kept him for 10 – 14 days before he was released.
Its already late.
Set up many centers all around country
Have emergency kits and allow medics with experience to bring their experience in,
communicate with countries, ie Australia, NZ, China etc who have experience in containing situations
prepare food/fruits supplying measures from highlands to POM
Lock-down is the only way to contain the spread of virus in the city and country as a whole. While lock-down, the national response team with our government must work on emergency plans and ways to contain and stop the virus from spreading across every streets and settlements in urban towns.
Typical PNG critics, always critical about what the Govt is trying to do and put in place. First everyone was screaming about closing off the international flights and now they are jumping up and down when the lockdown came in and now crying for supply of rations and what we are going to eat. Just like the people of Israel in the wilderness, never learn to appreciate anything.
At the end of the day Marape & Steven Govt are doing their best for the people of PNG with the lock down effective today. Just see how many people will start complaining. “Em ol lain gat baby tingting” always complaining and very critical. I bet they themselves are not capable to do anything constructive.
Just one point, let all the flights from Australia to all our mining areas to come through check point at Jackson’s airport.
Stop direct flights completely from Australia to direct to mining areas.
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