WHO warns Papua New Guineans of Covid-19 surge in GE22

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WHO warns Papua New Guineans of Covid-19 surge in GE22

PORT MORESBY: A surge of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) is expected if people do not take precautions and adhere to the control measures throughout General Election 2022 (GE22), a World Health Organisation (WHO) doctor warns.

WHO country office’s Dr Anup Gurunf said a surge would leave the vulnerable populace, especially the aged and those with underlying conditions, at risk of developing severe illness, hospitalization and death.

He also warned that the Delta surge last year had increased the mortality of vulnerable people but the Covid-19 variant which was prevalent now was Omicron.

PNG Cyber Monitor reproduces below a few news updates on GE22 as published by The National:

WHO predicts Covid surge

May 18, 2022The NationalMain Stories

By LULU MARK
A SURGE of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) is expected if people do not take precautions and adhere to the control measures during the election period, a doctor says.
Dr Anup Gurunf, from the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) country office, said a surge would leave the vulnerable members of the population which included older people and those with underlying medical conditions at risk of developing severe illness, hospitalisation and death.
He said the Delta surge last year had increased the mortality in these vulnerable groups but the variant which was prevalent now was Omicron.
He said although most Omicron positive cases would experience mild to moderate symptoms and recover without requiring specialised treatment, the vulnerable groups were still at risk.
He said because of low testing rates in the country fewer cases were reported although there was high community transmission from January to February.
“We are still having community transmission but we don’t know much about the pandemic because testing in PNG has really gone low,” Gurunf said.
“Omicron basically spread from January to February almost to the all of Highlands.
“By June I expect that all the provinces will have Omicron too.
“When nobody tests nobody knows. They think it’s a normal flu but when it hits the vulnerable, the mortality can be high.”
Gurunf urged young people to be mindful of the older people in their families and take heed of the Niupela Pasin when engaging in the election gatherings.
He said a person with Covid-19 could infect at least three to five people.
He said if gatherings were unavoidable people needed to take precautions such as mask wearing, sanitising hands and getting vaccinated.
Only 30 per cent of health workers in PNG were vaccinated and the country had the lowest Covid-19 vaccine coverage in the western Pacific region.
He said lack of adherence to control measures with low vaccination rates coupled with low testing was a serious concern at the moment as the country headed into its general election.


PNGDF medics undergo training to prepare for election

A demonstration done by L/CPL Lorrain Kapli (middle) who is suffering from a closed fracture casualty with L/CPL Dulcie Hetewun (left) and Private Andy Mai responding to the casualty. – Picture courtesy of Capt BARNABAS MALKEN, PNGDF Media

A medical team from the PNG Defence Force (PNGDF) has been undergoing advance combat first aid training to prepare for the general election.
About 20 participants from Port Moresby based units, who would form the medical team, were expected to complete the training from Taurama Barracks at the end of this week.
PNGDF director of health services Lt-Col Dr Peter Kaminiel urged the medics to be serious in the training as it would prepare them for deployment during the election.
“When in line of duty, it is your responsibility to ensure soldiers are attended to when theirs is casualty,” he said.
Kaminiel said this election would not be like the others.
The two weeks course was provided by the Australian Defence Force medical team.


Manus ready for election

David Yapu

POLICE on Manus have reminded people to choose leaders in the election who will deliver services.
Provincial police commander Chief Inspector David Yapu said they were prepared to deliver the election.
He added that the province’s pre-election security operation started last month where police officers in the province carried out election awareness in Lorengau town.
Yapu said the rolling out of awareness was necessary while waiting for election funding from the provincial government and police headquarters in Port Moresby.
“Funding and logistical support remain our biggest challenges.
“We have three police boats and five aging vehicles but this has not stopped us from carrying out our roles as police officers,” he said.
Yapu said manpower on the other hand was a challenge as there were 50 police personnel and the total population of the province was about 80,000.
He added that there would be a final election workshop that will be conducted after the issuing of writs on offences to ensure officers knew their boundaries and remained neutral and professional.


Mendi residents urged to respect public property

By PETER WARI
MENDI town mayor Angelus Michael says people from Southern Highlands must respect the provincial capital during the general election and not destroy private and public properties.
He said he believes many had learned their lesson and changed their attitudes after violence and disruptive behaviour at the 2017 elections had affected services and businesses.
He said for the first time, solar street lights had been installed around the town and called on town residents and people from the district not to remove or damage them.
“Such small things will attract investors and change the mindset of the people,” Michael said.
“Development changes do not happen overnight, it comes slowly bit by bit and the street lighting has given hope to many people.
“People must take ownership and prevent others from destroying the lights as it improves safety by allowing pedestrians and motorists to see each other at night and adds to personal safety and aesthetics,” he said.
He also urged colleague LLG presidents in the five districts to carryout awareness for a free, fair and safe election, and for the people to look after government services in the area.

Teachers to follow dept guidelines

May 18, 2022The NationalMain Stories

By LORRAINE JIMAL
TEACHERS are free to exercise their democratic rights to educate citizens about elections for the country’s development, Teaching Service Commission chairman Samson Wangihomie says.
Wangihomie said teachers could educate students about the democratic process of elections, how it was conducted and the government’s formation.
He said while teachers could teach students about the electoral process and history, they could not tell them who to vote for.
Wangihomie said teachers were allowed to engage in the general election as election officials and scrutineers but they would return to classes on the dates given by the Education Department.
Manus Secondary School principal Alois Kinol stressed that only a few teachers would be involved in the election period and the department had put out a circular on the involvement of teachers.
“We are aware of the circular of the teachers to be involved in elections and school grounds not to be used for campaign activities,” he said.
The National also spoke to heads of several other schools on whether their grounds would be used for polling activities and would also it if the provincial education boards made a formal request.
Ramu Valley High School board chairman Lucas Kuniata said they would allow their grounds to be used as a polling site if their provincial education board made a request.
“Right now, we are just waiting, if they request for a school ground we will meet and discuss first before making any decision but no political campaigns will held in school,” he said.
Meanwhile, Education secretary Dr Uke Kombra said no political rallies, speeches, gatherings, sponsored activities and sports would be conducted in any of the national education system schools whether elementary, primary, secondary centre or vocational centre.


Party focuses on improving revenue generation

Prime Minister James Marape (second from left) and Gumine MP Nick Kuman at the launch of the Advance Papua New Guinea Party in Port Moresby last Wednesday. – Picture supplied

WITH the current economic struggles faced in the country the newly established Advance Papua New Guinea Party (APP) believes that the government revenue has to be increased, an official says.
APP founder and leader Nick Kuman said sufficient funds needed to be generated before the country could spend on expenditures particularly on infrastructure while economically viable projects that were sustainable needed to be built.
Kuman, who is Gumine MP, said this during the fundraising and official launch of the party and announcement last Wednesday which Prime Minister James Marape attended.
The party endorsed 35 candidates to contest in the general elections.
“We must now shift our focus from services to commerce-oriented policies,” Kuman said.
“Either through legislation or amendments of certain laws to create a pathway for economic recovery as a way forward.”
Kuman also highlighted that the public servants salaries consumed a lot of the budget hence the public service needed to effectively improve their service delivery programmes to the people.
The APP aims to:

  • FOCUS on making more revenue to spend on the economic infrastructure;
  • SAVE surplus revenue through creation of sovereign wealth funds for future generation;
  • PROMOTE downstream processing and building industries; and,
  • ENSURE each district must have proper development goals aligned with the provincial and national Medium Development Plan and Vision 2050.

Teacher: School will only participate with polling if board approves

MANAM Island’s Bieng Primary School in Madang will only allow polling on its grounds if approved by the provincial education board (PEB).
Senior teacher Charlie Ekuri said his school had not received a request or direction from the PEB regarding its involvement in election-related activities. However, Ekuri said they would follow up with provincial education authorities this week.
He added that there was nothing wrong with schools in rural communities taking part in the election process, as long as they had approval from their PEBs.
Meanwhile, says it will continue its half day classes due to a shortage of food following the two recent volcanic eruptions that has damaged food gardens and contaminated water sources.
“Parents are now coming to the school and complaining and we have no choice but to continue half day classes,” Bieng Primary School senior teacher Charlie Ekuri said.
Ekuri said to date, the affected communities had not received assistance from any State agencies or NGOs and the affected people were surviving on coconuts, fishing and whatever they could salvage from their gardens.
The National asked if a report had been sent to the Education Department and Ekuri said a report had been presented to provincial education authorities yesterday to be taken to the department.
Attempts to get comments from the Madang disaster office were unsuccessful.

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