‘Unvaccinated Pandemic’

Deputy Pandemic Controller Dr. Esorom Daoni has again reiterated that most people who died from COVID-19 were unvaccinated.

He told the media on Monday that there is community transmission throughout the country, with all Highlands provinces in the red zone, including NCD, Central, Madang, Morobe and East Sepik.

Two border provinces, West Sepik and Western, have seen a reduction in the number of cases.

Dr. Daoni said all the provinces in the New Guinea Islands Region are experiencing an increase in the number of cases including Oro in the Southern Region.

“We have a big community transmission in the country and this is driven by the delta variant.

“We have seen a trend that most of our deaths and people ending up in the ICU are the unvaccinated ones.

“Currently the epidemic in PNG is hanging towards an ‘unvaccinated pandemic’,” stated Dr. Daoni.

The Deputy Controller said countries like Fiji and Australia are opening up their borders and lifting restrictions because they have reached an 80% vaccination rate.

“If we do not increase vaccination we will be left behind. The world is moving fast.

“If we mobilize everyone in PNG to get vaccinated and we reach 80% vaccination rate, I can guarantee that we will relax a lot of these restrictions,” he said.

Dr. Doani said there have been too many deaths during this third wave. He is encouraging everyone to get vaccinated.

He said, “On average, every day I sign off at NCC between 8 and 15 requests for deceased bodies to be freighted all over the country. We have been doing this for the last two months and it is not a good sign. One death is too many.”

Author: 
Jemimah Sukbat