Coronavirus

Since the confirmation of the first case yesterday, police moved to lock down the Raluana LLG villages of Ialakua, Baravon, Unamurmur, Vunatagia and Bitabaur.

ENB provincial police commander (PPC), Joseph Tabali, told this newsroom that the 40-year-old woman, who is from that area, has complied with their instruction to remain in her house, while her village and four others have been closed off. 

“No one is coming out to go to Kokopo or Rabaul,” said PPC Tabali. 

In a media briefing this afternoon, Police Minister Bryan Kramer said the 40-year-old developed flu-like symptoms on March 19^th, where she received antibiotic treatment from the Nonga General Hospital.

This statement was made to correct many misconceptions by the general public.

ANG’s inbound international flights only airlift cargo, including Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other associated medical equipment as so directed by the Government.

“We are not carrying passengers on inbound flights unless they are part of the Government’s efforts and are medical and critical personnel to tackle the coronavirus issues,” stated the airline.

The K100,000 is part of a K1.5 million funding assistance to the response team approved by the South Bougainville District Development Authority Board at its recent meeting in Buin.

Priority programs and activities already underway include awareness, which also entails sensitisation and training of health workers and stakeholders as well as surveillance and control of movement along the PNG-Solomon Islands border.

In a letter to all Forum Leaders on 30 March, the Prime Minister of Samoa, Tuila’epa Sailele Malielegaoi, recognised that “we find ourselves in extraordinary times and circumstances where the very mettle of our nations and governments are tested beyond any limits that we have known in our lifetime”

Senior Officials of the Pacific Islands Forum have met to discuss and elaborate a possible regional response mechanism that would ease the coordination of supplies and assistance to the member states.

Cabinet has agreed that $17 million will be allocated to support a COVID-19 Pacific Response Package, which will:

Prime Minister James Marape, when making the announcement this afternoon, said domestics flights from ENB to Port Moresby were scheduled to resume but because of ENB’s case, specific operation orders will be issued by the SOE Controller to the provincial authorities.

The 40-year-old woman is a local resident of Kokopo in East New Britain Province.

“She’s a local person, she’s not coming from outside,” he told media.

“She’s kept in isolation while her village is in lockdown.”

The PM said the PNG Institute of Medical Research in Port Moresby picked up tests from persons of interests in ENB.

“At a time when the tests were picked up from three persons of interest, two returned negative while one returned positive this afternoon.”

The health centre was built by New Guinea Goldfields in the 1950s and has stood the test of time. The last maintenance work on the centre was carried out by Morobe Consolidated Goldfields in 2008.

Officer in charge, Olivier Kola, said at the recent coronavirus awareness meeting that the state of the health centre cannot cater for the increasing population and any outbreak of diseases, including COVID-19.

“We can’t cope with any major health situation,” Kola revealed.

The warning was issued by the SOE Controller and Provincial Administrator, Wilson Matava, during a special meeting of all LLG presidents and LLG managers in East New Britain last week.

And they have been further warned to deliver reliable and correct awareness material to the community, to ensure people in the villages are better educated on issues relating the COVID-19 pandemic.