PNG’s total Covid-19 cases to breach 10,000 mark this week
News that matter in Papua New Guinea
PNG’s total Covid-19 cases to breach 10,000 mark this week
PORT MORESBY: Papua New Guinea (PNG)’s National Pandemic Response-imposed isolation period for a month ended today (April 19, 2021).
However, it does not mean Papua New Guineans can let their guards down in the fight with the Coronavirus (Covid-19).
In fact, all public health measures or protocols need to be adhered to strictly for the pandemic to ease.
As it is, the spike in infections continue to rise and is expected to breach the 10,000 mark this week.
As of Saturday (April 17, 2021), the country’s death toll is at 89 and total infections is at 9,738.
Here is the update on PNG’s Covid-19 situation as reported by The National:
Manning: Still unsafe
April 19, 2021The NationalMain Stories
David Manning
By MIRIAM ZARRIGA
SCHOOLS reopen today after an extended four-week Term One holidays which had to run in concurrently with a national isolation strategy designed to arrest the current surge in Covid-19 cases.
But Covid-19 National Pandemic Response Controller David Manning told The National yesterday that control measures observed in the past four weeks would remain pending a review later this week.”
“Control measures in place will not be relaxed (right away) despite the national isolation strategy ending (today),” he said.
Health authorities and international partners such as the World Health Organisation are concerned about the continuing increase in the Covid-19 cases, which rose from more than 2,000 four weeks ago, to more than 9,000 today.
Manning said the four-week isolation period had done little to reduce the number of confirmed cases and deaths.
“Statistics show an increase in the number of deaths and positive cases in the past two to three months including the isolation period, and that does not give us any just cause to relax the measures,” he said.
“The current situation we are in is far from over.
“We have agreed that the schools should be re-opened and we take note of concerns the teachers, especially in the public education system have raised.
“We will work closely with the secretary of Education, and the teachers for a solution, working in collaboration with the National Control Centre (NCC).”
He reminded public servants pursuing the payment of risk allowances that the NCC had no say in the matter.
“We are aware of concerns on risk allowances (but) it is not the NCC function to deal with it,” he said.
“If the teachers are concerned for their health, and the working environment is not safe for them to do their jobs, then we will work with the Education Department to address the situation as best as we can.”
He is also aware of concerns raised by businesses which are losing millions in revenue.
“We will review the (control) measures focused on the health response advantages, social and economic benefits,” he said.
He agreed that some businesses closed at the moment should reopen “to enable us to continue to assist the economy and ensure we have jobs out there”.
“There is a fine balancing act with what industries are necessary at this time and what industry we can do without because of the potential risk of transmissions in those industries,” he said.
“The revenue earned comes out of people’s pockets, not through taxes, not through grants, not through loans.”
He said the Covid-19 “does not discriminate and requires (everyone’s) response to accept the risk, mitigate the risks and take into consideration the type of activities to invest in”.
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