No lockdown yet for PNG’s Port Moresby

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No lockdown yet for PNG’s Port Moresby

PORT MORESBY: There is no lockdown yet for Papua New Guinea (PNG)’s capital city, says National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop.

However, Deputy National Pandemic Response Controller Dr Daoni Esorom said Controller David Manning could still order a lockdown if the Coronavirus (Covid-19) situation got worse.

PNG Cyber Monitor reproduces below a few stories on the current pandemic situation in the country as reported by The National:

No lockdown

October 26, 2021The NationalMain Stories

National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop says they will give the Port Moresby General Hospital a two-month budget of K2.6 million and has asked the St John Ambulance to give their budget for 100 beds at the Nightingale Taurama Aquatic Centre Covid-19 care centre (left). – Nationalfilepic

By MIRIAM ZARRIGA and LULU MARK
NO lockdown yet for Port Moresby, as health and city authorities plan to address the increase in the Coronavirus (Covid-19) cases and deaths through an effective medical response and vaccination drive, an official says.
They will also be pushing hard to have people observe the public health safety rules (Niupla Pasin).
National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop, who had been consulting senior doctors, police and business leaders since the weekend on the grim Covid-19 situation, said there would be no lockdown, as envisaged.
However, Deputy National Pandemic Response Controller Dr Daoni Esorom said Controller David Manning could still order a lockdown if the Covid-19 situation got worse.
“After consultation with stakeholders, including the police, we have decided not to have a lockdown, after taking into consideration the impact (on) businesses, transport and schools,” Parkop said.
He said a lockdown would be hard to enforce anyway.
“It’s not possible to enforce the lockdown in full,” he said.
Parkop added that a lockdown would have “serious repercussions on those who relied on day-to-day sales to sustain themselves”.
“Our social and economic situation is very fragile and delicate. Equally fragile and delicate is the health system,” he said.
“The economy has slowed down, unemployment is high, businesses are fragile and teetering on collapsing.” He made the announcement flanked by city manager Bernard Kipit, Dr Esorom, and NCD Provincial Health Authority (NCD PHA) chief executive officer Dr Steven Yennie.
Parkop said they would give the Port Moresby General Hospital a two-month budget of K2.6 million.
“We have also asked the St John Ambulance to give us a budget for two months (to increase beds to 100),” he said.
“The NCD PHA will submit a budget for vaccination, testing and surveillance (to us) for funding.”
There will be a ban on public gatherings of more than 20 people for the next two months. And more vaccination and testing sites will be opened up in Port Moresby.
Dr Esorom said the most important thing was to stop the transmission. “It is a must. We need to cut the transmission,” he said.
“As long as you have people moving, and we have a lot of people moving in NCD, the virus will continue to spread.
“So it you don’t have work in the city, please stay home.
“The PMGH is overflowing with sick and dead people. We need to stop people getting sick. We need to stop filling up the morgue.”
“We need to vaccinate ourselves.
“There is no other way – there is no treatment for the Covid-19.”

 

Ban on public gatherings

October 26, 2021The NationalMain Stories

LAE police will not allow more than 20 people gathering in public places at any one time, Snr Insp James Luan says.
Speaking on behalf of Commander Chief Supt Chris Kunyanban, he said police would not hesitate to arrest and charge those people.
Snr Insp Luan made it clear about gatherings as rumours circulated that a protest march was being planned by the public against pressure being applied to take the Coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccination.
“We will not allow this to happen here,” he said of the march.
“Any gathering of such numbers of people are against the Covid-19 protocols and with the surge that we are experiencing now, we will not allow for that.”
Snr Insp Luan said anyone planning such a protest or gathering should stop.
Assistant Comm of Police (Northern) Peter Guinness said anyone found to be organising such a protest would be dealt with by law.
“That means those who organise such gatherings will be arrested and charged accordingly,” he said.
Meanwhile, Snr Insp Luan said that the suspect who was allegedly responsible for attacking three nurses and two support staff at West Taraka health centre on Friday could not be found.
“People living at Banana Block settlement met with police on Saturday to identify the suspect (a drunkard) and are working closely with us to arrest the suspect,” he said, adding that the suspect was known to police.

Lockdown a ‘circuit-breaker’

October 25, 2021The NationalBusiness

By DALE LUMA
TO address the increase in Coronavirus (Covid-19) transmissions and deaths around the country, “a circuit-breaker is required to minimise the movement and large-scale gathering of people”, an official says.
PNG Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Ian Tarutia, who is also the chief executive officer of the National Superannuation Fund (Nasfund), said the solution lay in reducing the movement of people.
“A measured lockdown or curfew for three weeks, only allowing essential services to continue is an option to consider, especially in identified hot spot areas around the country,” he said.
Tarutia said businesses were feeling the impact of the Covid-19 but must continue operating.
“It is important for businesses to remain open, important for the economy to keep moving, while balancing the health and wellbeing of our people,” he said.
“Employers whether public or private have the right to protect their staff and operations.
“Freedom of choice and rights of the individual are respected. However the employer also has a right to protect its business, staff and the public.”
He said businesses could have spent more than K400 million on the direct impacts of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic on their operations since March last year.
He told The National that estimates from the fund’s top 100 employers shows an expenditure of K600,000 per annum since last year, which amounts to K60 million.
He said the extractive sector had “definitely” spent more.
The direct impacts to business are:

  • INCREASED costs of prevention, containment and treatment measures in terms of keeping staff healthy and work place safety;
  • COST of quarantine for FIFO (fly-in-fly-out) workers;
  • BUSINESS disruption due to supply chain delay and logistics to retail outlets;
  • BUYING personal protective items for staff, and engagement of medical personnel to provide awareness and educational presentations;
  • INCREASED cost of business continuity, split teams and work-from-home set-ups;
  • LOSS of productivity due to staff members being down with the Covid-19; and,
  • PAYING severance entitlements for laid-off staff.

“It is hard to ascertain an accurate figure but estimates of our top 100 employers spending a conservative K600,000 per annum since March, 2020 on direct Covid-19 impacts place costs at around K60 million,” Tarutia said.

“Bigger establishments in the extractive sector (oil, gas and mining) have definitely spent more. All up, conservative costs could well exceed K400 million.”

“Businesses in general in a number of sectors have demonstrated strong resilience to keep operations going, maintaining jobs for staff, paying tax, superannuation and contributing to preventing Covid-19 pandemic impacts becoming worse.”

Maintain contact: Doctor

October 26, 2021The NationalMain Stories

Goroka police enforcing the curfew which starts at 2pm. – Nationalpics by ZACHERY PER

By LULU MARK and Zachery Per
THE provincial health authorities must maintain an open line of communication and make regular contacts with the Coronavirus (Covid-19) National Control Centre (NCC) to ensure an effective and prompt response, an official says.
Deputy National Pandemic Response Controller Dr Daoni Esorom said some health authorities around the country, for example, did not order their supplies such as the personal protective equipment (PPE) on time.
“We have a lot of PPEs.
“In fact, we have three warehouses full of PPEs,” he said.
“The problem is that the PHAs are not ordering on time.
“They only order when there is a problem.
“Order and stock up so that you can also have a buffer.”
In the case of Eastern Highlands, Dr Esorom urged the provincial health authority (PHA) to maintain consistent contact with the NCC.
“Eastern Highlands is not reporting daily on the cases,” he said.
“Ask the PHA CEO (Dr Joseph Apa) where are the cases today.
“What’s the inventory for PPE?
“How many PPEs are required at the Goroka Hospital, Asaro Health Centre, Kainantu District Hospital.
“The PHA is not telling us.
“We don’t (know) what is happening in Eastern Highlands.”
He was responding to queries raised on whether the Government’s support was reaching the provinces because non-government entities were conducting fundraising drives to support the Covid-19 response in Eastern Highlands hospitals reported to be running short of supplies.
Dr Daoni said only Western Highlands, Chimbu, East New Britain and the National Capital District were submitting their reports daily to the NCC.
Meanwhile, police were implementing strict measures at the Kenagi checkpoint in Daulo.
“Any vehicle that comes after the curfew begins at 2pm is not allowed to cross.
“Please do not waste your time and fuel to come,” site commander Steven Mondia said.

 

PNG needs help, doctor says

October 26, 2021The NationalMain Stories

THE surge in the Coronavirus (Covid-19) cases in the provinces is very worrying, says national emergency medical team (EMT) leader Dr Garry Nou.
“We are stressed to the limit in the surge provinces,” Dr Nou said.
“We need hard choices to restrict people movement and implement Niupla Pasin.”
He told The National yesterday that three EMT teams comprising 18 health doctors and nurses were in Eastern Highlands and Western Highlands supporting staff at the main hospitals.
The teams also have more than 100 volunteers who were fully vaccinated.
Dr Nou said the country right now needed medical teams from overseas countries such as the Austmat from Australia to help Papua New Guinea.
A team from the United Kingdom is also in the country.
Dr Nou urged people not to move around unnecessarily and to follow all public health safety measures such as the wearing of masks, physical distancing and regular hand washing.
He urged people to get vaccinated as it was an important way of combating the pandemic.

Authority to open hospital to cater for Covid-19 patients

October 26, 2021The NationalMain Stories

THE Southern Highlands health authority is looking at equipping and opening the Nipa District Hospital in Nipa-Kutubu this week to cater for the Coronavirus (Covid-19) patients.
Public health director George Epei told The National that the Mendi General Hospital and Ialibu District Hospital were taking in patients, but with the limited number of beds available in the wards, it was looking at opening the Nipa hospital. He said four wards at the hospital were open to the public in June after sitting idle for four years, since its commissioning, as it was unable to fully function because it did not meet national health service standard.
The four wards opened were outpatient, accident and emergency, antenatal and postnatal and delivery wards and it will now be looking at a Covid-19 ward.
“Mendi hospital has 40 beds, the Covid-19 ward has 12 and there are 28 at the medical ward while the Ialibu District Hospital has 10 beds,” Epei said. “The two hospitals cannot cater for the increasing number of patients.”
Epei said the total confirmed cases to date was 732.
“We have 15 vaccination sites and are appealing to people to get vaccinated,” he said.
The Ialibu District Hospital reported a second Covid-19 death.
“It is a worry that many educated elites who should take the lead to support the provincial health authority and the Department of Health to make awareness for people to get vaccinated are spreading misinformation on social media that has made illiterate people ignore the vaccination,” Epei said.
“We should educate our people in the community to stop community gatherings such as moka, compensation and others.
“In such gatherings, you will hardly see people wearing masks, this is the place where the Covid-19 is spread easily.”
Authority chief executive Dr Joseph Birisi said the provincial Covid-19 task force team passed a resolution to apply the new normal measures in the province and urged people to stop hosting events that will gather people.
He also urged public servants to take the leading getting vaccinated.












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