PNG expecting fourth Covid-19 surge next year

News that matter in Papua New Guinea

Image for illustration only. For image info, go to https://www.devex.com/news/cautious-optimism-in-south-africa-that-covid-19-surge-is-over-98020

PNG expecting fourth Covid-19 surge next year

PORT MORESBY: Papua New Guinea is expecting a fourth surge in Coronavirus Covid-19 next year with only about 11 per cent of the people vaccinated.

National Pandemic Response Deputy Controller Dr Daoni Esorom said the country was in the midst of recovering from the third Covid-19 Delta variant surge which had claimed 500 lives to date.

PNG Cyber Monitor reproduced below a few news updates on Papua New Guinea’s Covid-19 status as published by The National:

Country expecting fourth surge next year

December 10, 2021The NationalNational

THE country is recovering from the third Coronavirus (Covid-19) Delta variant surge which caused about 500 deaths and is expecting a fourth surge early next year, an official says.
Deputy National Pandemic Response Controller Dr Daoni Esorom said 40 new cases were reported on Tuesday, bringing the total confirmed Covid-19 cases to 35,702, of which 387 were Delta cases.
The first surge last year was from July to August.
The second surge was from February to May this year. The third surge was from September to November.
“We are seeing a reduction in the number of cases,” he said.
“We have (now) some idea of the trend in surges, so it’s becoming predictable when the next surge would be.
“We anticipate that our next surge will be in February and March, taking into consideration the Christmas and New Year periods when a lot of gatherings will be taking place.”
After going through three surges, the provincial health authorities know when and how to respond.
“We build up our capacity in the last 21 months to make sure that in any surge, the provincial health authorities have an emergency response plan,” he said.
“During the surge, they do a plan to identify the critical component of the response that they need to invest resources in to make sure they control the surge.
“I believe that our system, despite how fragile it is, will be better positioned for the next surge.”

No plans to close border after reports of Omicron cases in Aust: Esorom

December 10, 2021The NationalNational

THERE are no plans yet to close the border with Australia after the Coronavirus (Covid-19) Omicron variant was detected there, says Deputy National Pandemic Response Controller Dr Daoni Esorom.
But, he said the country would be vigilant with new control measures to be developed. Measures effective since Sept 24 include:

• INBOUND passengers must be tested 72 hours before boarding the plane to Port Moresby;
• ONLY fully vaccinated people are allowed into the country;
• SUBMISSION of a fully-vaccinated certificate is compulsory; and,
• COVID-19 test upon arrival and isolation if positive.

“I believe the measures in place when you come in and at the airport are adequate to detect any case we might have,” he said.
“We have the control and detection points, so at the moment, it is not a question of if but when Omicron will be detected.
“We went very hard in the beginning during the state of emergency but it didn’t stop the virus from coming in.”
Dr Esorom said the most important thing was to observe the Niupela Pasin, get vaccinated and increase testing.
“Our strategy is to be vigilant, be under control and not to panic,” he said.
Dr Esorom said there was a wide transmission of the original Wuhan virus and the highly infectious Delta variant in the country.
The Omicron variant, which was detected in South Africa last month, had spread to about 40 countries, including neighbours Australia and Fiji but there was no reports of deaths from the variant.

Only 11pc vaccinated

December 10, 2021The NationalMain Stories

By LULU MARK
WITH 22 days away to go before the year ends, the country is well short of reaching its goal of vaccinating 1.8 million people against the Coronavirus (Covid-19) in 2021, a doctor says.
National Pandemic Response deputy controller Dr Daoni Esorom said so far, only 279,220 had received at least the first dose.
There are 211,421 who have been fully vaccinated.
The target this year is 1,869,379. Vaccines available include AstraZenecam, Sinopharm and Johnson and Johnson.
“Only 11.3 per cent have been fully vaccinated and this is very low,” he said.
“We have to work hard to make sure that we vaccinate a bigger percentage of the population that we set out to vaccinate.
“Our primary focus is to increase the vaccination rate.
“We need to focus on three important categories: frontline health workers, with only over 30 per cent fully vaccinated, other frontline workers and those with comorbidities.
Dr Esorom said with the threat of the Omicron variant and other variants, it was important that people got vaccinated.
“Since it is almost seven months since the first dose was given in May, we (must) think about the boosters,” he said.
“Our team now is compiling a vaccination report to identify how many breakthrough infections we have and how many AstraZeneca, Sinopharm and J&J had been given out.
“We are going into a detail analysis of all these vaccines on how many of those fully vaccinated have been infected.
“It will guide us as to how many people have been infected so we can give them boosters.”
The team is also working on what vaccines to be given to young people between 12 and 17, and those between 5 and 11.

Govt prepares guidelines to bring in medicines for Covid-19

December 10, 2021The NationalMain Stories

GUIDELINES are being prepared to bring in two medicine for the Coronavirus (Covid-19) treatment in the first quarter of next year, an official says.
National Pandemic Response deputy controller Dr Daoni Esorom said due to the high hesitancy to get the jab, with almost 100 per cent of the people admitted in the hospital and dying from the Covid-19, the Government would ensure that medicines were available to those who did not want to get the vaccine but had tested positive.
The Government is working with the United Nations to bring in the:

• MOLNUPARIVIR manufactured by MERK and costs US$750 (about K2,631) per dose; and,
• PAXLOID – an antiviral drug manufactured by Pfizer and costs US$530 (about K1,859) a dose.

The prices are from the open market put out by the companies but through the UN partners, a competitive price would be given.
“We ordered 300,000 doses of each so that’s a good news for us,” he said. “Studies from these two companies show that they have actually reduced that chances of people being hospitalised and stopped deaths by 89 per cent.
“These are very two important medicines that we need to have access to in the first quarter of next year.
“You will not be put on the medicine until you get tested first.
“It will only be given to people tested positive for the Covid-19.”
He said the medicines would not be given to prevent the Covid-19.
Dr Esorom said if one had a symptom such as a sore throat, mild cough or fever, one must get tested.

Govt prepares guidelines to bring in medicines for Covid-19

December 10, 2021The NationalMain Stories

GUIDELINES are being prepared to bring in two medicine for the Coronavirus (Covid-19) treatment in the first quarter of next year, an official says.
National Pandemic Response deputy controller Dr Daoni Esorom said due to the high hesitancy to get the jab, with almost 100 per cent of the people admitted in the hospital and dying from the Covid-19, the Government would ensure that medicines were available to those who did not want to get the vaccine but had tested positive.
The Government is working with the United Nations to bring in the:

• MOLNUPARIVIR manufactured by MERK and costs US$750 (about K2,631) per dose; and,
• PAXLOID – an antiviral drug manufactured by Pfizer and costs US$530 (about K1,859) a dose.

The prices are from the open market put out by the companies but through the UN partners, a competitive price would be given.
“We ordered 300,000 doses of each so that’s a good news for us,” he said. “Studies from these two companies show that they have actually reduced that chances of people being hospitalised and stopped deaths by 89 per cent.
“These are very two important medicines that we need to have access to in the first quarter of next year.
“You will not be put on the medicine until you get tested first.
“It will only be given to people tested positive for the Covid-19.”
He said the medicines would not be given to prevent the Covid-19.
Dr Esorom said if one had a symptom such as a sore throat, mild cough or fever, one must get tested.

Police fine club managers

December 10, 2021The NationalMain Stories

By JIMMY KALEBE
FOUR nightclub managers in Lae have been spot-fined by police under the National Pandemic Act 2020 for opening their clubs during a ban.
Lae police commander Chief Supt Chris Kunyanban said each of the four were fined K5,000 under the Act over the weekend. Under the National Pandemic Act, police can spot-fine anyone operating such businesses during this time when the Coronavirus (Covid-19) is still a concern.
“They are dealt with under the Act, paid their police fines and were released,” Chief Supt Kunyanban said.
This comes after a young man was murdered on Nov 29 at Salamanda Street after a nearby club was allowed to do its business.
Chief Supt Kunyanban said that the four club managers were not part of the murder case.
“I call on nightclub operators to ensure that the right type of security firm is engaged to ensure there is a high level of how a security guard has to approach different situations,” he said.
“When situations arise where confrontations are involved, there are certain actions that a security guard has to employ and not mishandle people in a manner that may put lives at risks,” Chief Supt Kunyanban said.