You do not need a state of emergency or curfew to keep you in the house.
Take ownership of your own health, refrain from moving around unnecessarily.
When announcing the five new cases in the country, Prime Minister James Marape stressed on the need to follow instructions, especially when it comes to limiting movement as it is people who move the virus around.
“Es mi toktok tudei, mi laikim ol pipol blo kantri, take interest in the fact that corona(virus) can tatsim yu wanwan,” he stated. “Yu ken kisim sik korona. Nogat wanpla aien man o aien meri stap lo displa graun.” (As I speak today, I want the people of this country to take interest in the fact that corona(virus) can infect each of you. No one is immune to this virus.)
Marape said if the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, can get infected, including other well-known, global personalities who are citizens of countries with high-quality health care, then this goes to show that the virus does not discriminate. It affects the young, the old, those who are healthy or have health issues, the rich and the poor.
“Yu na mi, mitupla ken kisim disla sik enitaim. Na mi askim ol manmeri, namba wan, kontiniu lo beten lo Papa God lo lukautim kantri blo yumi. Namba tu, yu lukautim yu yet gut. Stap na noken muv araun tumas. Kipim yu yet in a confined area. (We can get this disease anytime. That is why I want to ask our people to, number one, continue to pray to God to take care of our country and number two, take care of yourselves. Keep yourself in a confined area.)
“It is in your own personal interest that you remain in the area where you are, where your house is, where your suburb is.
“Long edvais mi kisim, sik korona ino inap pinis lo tupla mun; sik korona bai i stap possibly for the balance of this year. (From the advice I’ve received, the coronavirus disease will remain possibly for the balance of this year.)
“Ol save man long wok long displa graun wok yet lo painim marasin. Bat es ol wok lo painim marasin, marasin tu bai ran aut wankain olsem saplais blo medikol ke wok lo ran aut, globally speaking. (Experts are still looking for a cure but as they are working on it, medicine will run out just like medical care supplies are running out, globally speaking.)
“Bikos ino wanpla kantri tasol i gat displa hevi nau. 213 kantri gat hevi so eni glavs o mask o marasin fektri prodyusim, wok lo ran aut hariap hariap.” (This is because 213 countries are facing the same issue so any gloves or masks or medicine being produced by factories are quickly running out.)
(The current situation in Lae, Morobe Province)