Coronavirus

Prime Minister James Marape revealed that his Government is working with the governors of Central and NCD, as well as their respective members of parliament, to ensure residents have access to fresh produce.

With COVID-19 restrictions being put in place, access to fresh garden food, especially for city residents, has proven to be quite a challenge.

Marape said as a response to this, they will buy food from Central Province and store them in a warehouse inside the city.

A further €30 million (K112 million) has also been allocated from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations budget reserves.

“These funds for the WHO will contribute to global preparedness, prevention and containment of the virus and support the countries with the weakest health systems,” said the EU.

This is one of the ideas under discussion by the Government.

Over 300 Papua New Guineans who are abroad want to return home. Some of them went overseas for medical reasons or events and were unable to return due to PNG’s ban on international flights.

In a recent COVID-19 update, Police Minister Bryan Kramer said the government is looking at all options, especially when 306 Papua New Guineans have registered to come back.

Fifteen partner Pacific islands countries and four European Overseas Countries and Territories will benefit from this support.

The EU action will focus on strengthening partner countries’ health, water and sanitation systems and their research and preparedness capacities to deal with the pandemic, as well as mitigating its socioeconomic impact.

Jeong Eun-kyeong, the director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), says the virus appears to have been "reactivated" rather than the patients being reinfected, Reuters reported.

The number of patients has grown after 51 were announced on Monday and officials say it brings doubt into what it means for a patient to be cleared of the virus and when they should be allowed to return home.

Bloomberg reported a patient is currently deemed fully recovered when two tests conducted with a 24-hour interval show negative results.

The decision was announced after talks involving medical experts, the French High Commission, the government and the customary Senate.

The extension was the second time that a week had been added to the original lockdown declared on 19 March.

From 20 April the emergency measures will be changed, with details of what will be eased to be announced in the course of next week.

The customary Senate had been in favour of extending the restrictions for longer while some leaders in the mainly Kanak Loyalty Islands province asked for the terms of confinement to be relaxed.

Professor Stephen Howes, Director of the Development Policy Centre at The Australian National University, said the second wave has been unfolding from mid-February onwards in the rich countries of the world (as well as Iran).

Some have responded better than others. None are out of the woods, and the suffering in some countries has been staggering, but many now seem to be turning the corner.

Manning said whilst measures are in place to contain the spread of the coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic, consideration is also being given to citizens who wish to travel by air.

Under this emergency direction, valid reasons for air travel include:

He made the announcement yesterday at the National Operations Centre at the Morauta Haus. This emergency order will be implemented immediately.

Manning said ‘designated goods’ such as betelnut, wild betelnut and any other perishable items, may be seized and destroyed during routine roadblocks or searches of vehicles by authorised officers.

Raluana LLG President, Tiolam Wawaga, was overwhelmed by the kind gesture.

Raluana LLG has been hit hardest with the 21-day lockdown, with the second case of COVID-19 being a local from there.

Raluana LLG President, Tiolam Wawaga said, the LLG is now working closely with the Kokopo district office to organise and coordinate the delivery and distribution of food ration to the wards of Ialakua, Barovon, Vunatagia, Bitabaur and Vunamurmur.