Covid-19 Independence Day super spreader events’ threat

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Covid-19 Independence Day super spreader events’ threat

PORT MORESBY: Ten people died from Coronavirus (Covid-19) and 203 new cases were reported in five days from Sept 9, 2021, with National Pandemic Response Deputy Controller Dr Daoni Esorom making a red alert call on Independence Day super spreader events.

“Papua New Guineans are just not heeding our calls to adhere strictly to public health protocols like masking up and keeping social distancing at mass events.

“There is a high risk of a surge in infections in the coming weeks and months,” he lamented.

The National published several updates on Covid-19:

Covid-19 red alert

September 17, 2021The NationalMain Stories

By LULU MARK
TEN people died from Coronavirus (Covid-19) and 203 new cases were reported in five days from Sept 9 with National Pandemic Response Deputy Controller Dr Daoni Esorom making a red alert call on Independence Day super spreader events.
“Papua New Guineans are just not heeding our calls to adhere strictly to public health protocols like masking up and keeping social distancing at the mass events. There is a high risk of a surge in infections in the coming weeks and months,” he added.
Esorom urged provinces to take it upon themselves and be proactive in the Covid-19 response.
“There were shows in Goroka, Enga, Western Highlands and other provinces despite the National Control Centre advice not to proceed.
“If the events result in a surge Covid-19 cases, the provincial health authorities and administration must be fully responsible. These are super-spreader events,” he said.
“Money will not run away. At this time (in the face of the Delta variant threat) gatherings should be limited,” he stressed.
He appealed to the people, saying whether they believe that Covid-19 was there or not, believe in conspiracy theory or unvaccinated, there were two strategies needed to be strengthen to prevent a big surge in the country.
“The first is observing strictly to the Niupela Pasin (New Normal) which was nothing more than listen and follow.
“Niupela Pasin is a public health and social intervention that in the long-term will definitely reduce the number of cases.
“At the same time they are cost effective strategies.
“It will not cause a lot of money but in the event that we do not follow them,there will definitely be a big surge of the Covid-19 infections in Papua New Guinea.
“If we have to get ourselves out of the epidemic, we need to vaccinate ourselves, and everyone.”
In an update on Wednesday, NCC incident manager Dr Melinda Susapu said two Covid-19 deaths were reported on Monday on the back of 130 new cases (120 in Western, three in Hela, two in the National Capital District (NCD) and one each in Morebe, Eastern Highlands, New Ireland, Madang and Jiwaka).
She said the two deaths were from Western which brought the total cumulative deaths to 204.
The total number of Covid-19 in the country was at 18,542 of which 17,892 had recovered and 448 cases still active.
“NCC had yet to receive the samples that were sent to the Doherty Institute in Melbourne, Australia, to confirm whether the Covid-19 cases reported were of the Delta variant because the institute was not able to run tests for the samples (Australia is also experiencing a surge in cases).
“Of the 130 new cases, 24 were re-infection cases (22 in Western and two in NCD which means these people had contracted Covid-19 some five or more months ago and these data will help in understanding the transmission dynamics of Covid-19 and whether it was characteristic of Delta.
“Only eight of the 22 provinces are reporting regularly,” she said.
Susapa said due to delays in the reports the actual situation in provinces could be grossly underestimated.
“The surveillance teams are constantly identifying reporting gaps and are working with provinces to ensuring the discrepancies are minimized,” she added.
Susapu said the total number of Covid-19 tests done to date in the country was 182,403 “which is very low”.
Esorom said it was important that health facilities were conducting testing and people should go for testing because testing was necessary “for us to understand the extent of the spread and for us to respond appropriately”.
“It is taking too long for the genome sequencing of samples sent to Australia,” he said.
“Hence, the NCC is working with partners to enable the PNG Institute of Medical Research (IMR) to do that by next month.”

Controller releases new measures for international, domestic travellers

September 17, 2021The NationalNational

ALL international and domestic travellers must now undergo mandatory Coronavirus (Covid-19) quarantine, National Pandemic Response Controller David Manning announced yesterday.
For international travel, the new measure are as follows;

• NEW quarantine periods – seven days quarantine for incoming persons who are fully vaccinated and 14 days quarantine for partially vaccinated persons. PNG citizens and permanent residents who are unvaccinated are to be quarantined for 21 days.
• THE new quarantine periods do not apply to all persons currently in quarantine – unless provided an exception which will continue to apply;
• APPROVALS to arrive in PNG are valid for 60 days instead of 90 days previously;
• APPROVALS to enter PNG shall not be provided to persons travelling to PNG for the principal purpose of holidaying, vacationing or similar activity;
• ALL persons travelling to PNG must have a valid Covid-19 test 72 hours prior to their original port of departure, instead of seven days, to Port Moresby;
• All people arriving in PNG must be tested upon arrival and while in quarantine.
• IF an individual refuses to be tested, they will be quarantined for an additional 14 days;
• THERE is no restriction on which medical providers may conduct these tests, except that the medical providers and their staff must be properly licensed; and,
• TRACKING of individuals for the purposes of quarantine is now only for home quarantine.

Manning, who is also police commissioner, said due to the increased threat of the Covid-19 Delta variant, all provinces were now classified as “medium risk”.
He said it was the responsibility of provincial health authorities to advise provincial administrators as to what their risk of Covid-19 was on a weekly basis.
“Western and Sandaun (West Sepik) have been classified as high-risk provinces. Restrictions will be based on whether a province is high or medium risk,” he said.
For high-risk provinces the following will apply:

• GATHERINGS of only 20 people allowed;
• ALL persons leaving a high-risk province must undertake a rapid antigen test prior to departure,
• NIGHT clubs, pubs and similar venues must be closed; and,
• NO sporting activities more than four persons are allowed.

Covid-19 patients flood hospital

September 17, 2021The NationalMain Stories

WESTERN’S Daru Hospital is inundated with Coronavirus (Covid-19) patients and has stopped admission since Tuesday with the number of infections rising fast, National Control Centre (NCC) incident manager Dr Melinda Susapu says.
“Nine deaths and 136 new Covid-19 cases were reported in Western from Sept 9 to Monday,” she said.
National Pandemic Response Deputy Controller Dr Daoni Esorom said 80 Covid-19 patients were admitted in the hospital and it had no more beds for patients.
“The doctor who is currently looking after the Emergency Department and the clinical services there is currently in a critical situation and we are planning to medevac her to Port Moresby,” he said.
“We are pretty sure that is the Delta variant.
“The symptoms are quite peculiar and specific to Delta.”
He said for just Covid-19, on average people had symptoms (dry cough, fever, headache, joint ache and flu like symptoms) between five and seven days but for the Delta, the symptoms come early between three and four days but both have the same incubation period of 14 days.
He said the Delta was also 50 to 70 per cent more transmittable, so the infection spreads faster to many more people if there was no physical distancing and adherence of the Niupela Pasin (New Normal).
“We will see more cases in Western (and) we are now also seeing it spreading in West Sepik and we will see more of it there. If the people are not careful, we might see a severe surge and outbreak that can easily get out of control and we will see many more deaths.
“Many provinces, including West New Britian, East New Britain, the National Capital District, Morobe, West Sepik and Western have been recording an increase in the number of influenza-like illnesses since June. And seeing the Delta surge in Western, we anticipate a surge in the other provinces as well.
“All provinces are still at ‘low rsk’ of Delta infection, except Western and West Sepik which have been upgraded to ‘medium risk’. With the public health protocols, so we anticipate an upgrade in the risk in provinces in the next few weeks and months.”

Institute to conduct Covid-19 genome sequencing tests

September 17, 2021The NationalNational

Ali Gasok, 25, being administered his first Coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine from National Capital District Provincial Health Authority nurse Sr Madlyn Luciano outside the Vision City Mega Mall in Port Moresby recently. – Nationalpic by JOEL HAMARI

By LULU MARK
THE Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research (IMR) is being prepared to conduct genomic sequencing of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) test beginning next month, National Pandemic Response Deputy Controller Dr Daoni Esorom says.
“We need to speed up tests and results for a better response to the pandemic. Speed matters for us to be able to know the actual status and for use to respond swiftly and effectively against the virus threat,” he added.
“The results of the Covid-19 test samples sent to Australia’s Doherty Institute in Melbourne more than three weeks ago for genomic sequencing to determine whether they were the Delta variant had yet to return. We are into the fourth week and it is a big concern for us.
“At the moment, the turnaround time for us is too long (and) that is unacceptable. If we have a surge in the country, we just cannot manage (with) very slow turnaround in results.
“That is not good in guiding us as to where the Delta variant is heading, how it is spreading and at what speed it is spreading.
“If we have to increase our turnaround time, we have to build our own capacity and that is what we are doing with IMR. That is our only solution for this problem now.
“We had a meeting with the extractive industry on Monday they have agreed to pay for the equipment (machines and accessories) that IMR will be using for genome sequencing.
“We are looking at next month to make sure that we get IMR up and running (their capacities, training and equipment).
“It is only through testing that we can detect cases and if we are not testing enough, we will just have many respiratory illnesses and many people will be dying without actually really knowing if they are dying from the vial virus (original Covid-19) or the Delta variant,” he added.
Esorom said the IMR capacity was needed to do the genome sequencing not only of Covid-19 strains but also other strains of Coronaviruses.