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
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 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
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
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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