UPNG gets tough on measures

By LORRAINE JIMAL
THE University of PNG is making sure students and staff strictly comply with new Covid-19 protocol as lectures continues.
Vice-Chancellor Prof Frank Griffin, in a phone call, told The National that his students and staff were the number one priority at this time and the university was making sure they adhered to the new rules. He said students were issued with masks and were told to wear them, hand-sanitise and practice social distancing at all times.
“Our priorities here are to make sure students wear masks, social distance and hand-sanitise while on campus, and off campus as well,” he said.
Prof Griffin said the university ensured each student was checked before entering the campus and those who were sick should stay home and get treated before attending lectures.
He said students who live off campus were checked before entering the school campus.
“We don’t know who they come in contact with when they are out of the campus, so we are strictly following the new measures and checking them before they come in.”
Prof Griffin said for the residential students and staff were allowed to live the campus only to get the necessities such as soap, food and others.
“Upon returning, they will have to check before entering the campus and all the rules apply to both staff and the students,” he said.
He said it was not easy, but they complied to stop the spread of virus and keep the learning in progress without any disruptions.
Prof Griffin said said lectures were conducted in both face-to-face and online, however, for the larger classes, they use online platforms such as zoom and E-learning that those with laptops and smart-phones could excess.
He said the university enrolled 5,000 students this year of which 2,500 live on campus and 2,500 off campus.