Police and PNG Defence Force personnel in Hela are conducting COVID-19 awareness, mainly around the Niupela Pasin protocols, to contain the spread of the virus.
Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Chief Inspector Teddy Agwi said his officers and the DF personnel started awareness in the Tari Township. They have also gone as far as Komo, Magarima, Kopiago, and Koroba, informing the general public to wear facemasks and maintain social distancing whilst in public places.
Agwi said, “We are conducting awareness especially at the market places and main shopping centres where a lot of people congregate. We want to ensure a strict compliance of the “niupela pasin” protocols.” He added that in that way they can at least contain the spread of the COVID-19 Delta Variant in the province, and the neighbouring provinces as well.
PPC Agwi said they set up roadblocks at designated areas to ensure the traveling public has on facemasks and their temperatures are being checked. Agwi said persons without facemasks are sent home. He said hospital staff in the province have also set up shop; those who come back with high temperatures are being referred directly to the hospital for testing.
“We have 40 MS07 members from Tari and 33 Defence Force personnel who were brought into Tari for deployment in Hides to assist our local police officers and reservists in implementing the measures,” said the PPC.
The PPC said they are working with the help of a small NGO group based in Hela. A local company owned by Chinese businesses based in Tari have also assisted the awareness program. Others have also assisted with 20 temperature guns.