Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

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.

Police Minister Bryan Kramer said they have confirmed that the patient may have contracted the virus at a fundraiser.

During an update on the afternoon of Wednesday, the 8^th of April, Minister Kramer said they have confirmed with both the patient and doctor that it is highly probable that she may have contracted the virus during an event on the 14^th of March.

In his update, Health Minister Jelta Wong said preliminary report received has identified 28 close contacts among family members, workmates and health workers, with nine of them as persons under investigation.

Three rapid response teams composed of epidemiologists, doctors, nurses, infection prevention and control specialists, logisticians and other personnel have been deployed to ENB.

This order follows a sequence of emergency orders aimed at heightening the level of safety and security measures around the county following the second confirmed COVID-19 case in the country on Monday, 6th of April, 2020.

“No public transport is to operate within Papua New Guinea from 11.59pm on Thursday 9 April 2020 until 6am on Tuesday 14th April 2020,” Manning directed.

Based on the 14-day incubation period of COVID-19, Police Minister Bryan Kramer says: “This suggests that there’s no way he had COVID-19 while he was in Papua New Guinea on his two-week break.”

The 55-year-old East New Briton works with PanAust's Lao-registered company, Phu Bia Mining, on a fly-in-fly-out arrangement.

He arrived in PNG on the 8^th of March for his two-week break, and flew out on the 22^nd of March.

“He developed symptoms on the 3^rd of April, 2020,” Kramer said.

During the COVID-19 update this afternoon, Prime Minister James Marape did not mince words when issuing a warning to especially social media users who were relentless in their attack towards the East New Britain woman and even her province.

“The penalty that comes to those who commit that offence, under the state of emergency period, are higher than normal penalties that are afforded to similar crimes in normal circumstances,” Marape said.

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.

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.

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.