A community in Chimbu Province remains vigilant after its rural health centre recorded 17 COVID-19 cases and three deaths in the last two weeks.
According to Officer-in-Charge of Gumine Health Centre, George Umba the health facility, which is two kilometres away from Dirima, has so far recorded 17 cases and three deaths.
He said there is community transmission happening in Gumine and said more patients are expected.
Recently the district COVID-19 mobile team have conducted vaccinations and administered 200 jabs to people in Dirima with the Johnson & Johnson (JJ) vaccine.
Team leader, Sr Serah Kaile said after the 200 jabs, vaccines have ran out so the team is waiting for the arrival of more vaccines before they can move into other communities in Gumine.
While waiting for the vaccines to arrive, the Catholic Parish in Dirima has urged the locals to observe the Niupela Pasin measures in the communities to avoid being infected with COVID-19.
Parish Priest, Kim Fr Peter Kim (SVD) received close to 10,000 authentically designed and made face masks from his friends in South Korea.
Fr Kim said he distributed the masks to his parishioners and the surrounding communities in Dirima and to others from Kundiawa Catholic Diocese and the SVD confreres.
He said with support from his parish council fabric material were bought and with the help of volunteers close to 1000 face masks were sewn and distributed to the Catholic communities which included three agency schools in the parish.
Fr Kim, remain steadfast in his awareness and education approaches in preventing the spread of COVID-19 in Dirima and the surrounding communities.
He said the new normal strategies has been applied in Church on Sundays and he is limiting Church programs and activities as a part of the new normal.
