PNG Haus Bung

Papua New Guinea reported 91 new cases of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) for the last 48 hours, increasing the country’s total cases to 1,583. Papua New Guinea reported 37 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday March 5. Those cases are reported in Morobe province, Central, Eastern Highlands and in the National Capital District. Three cases were reported in Morobe province in which two are males and a female with ages ranging from 12 to 77 years old. All three cases showed symptoms of COVID-19 at the time of testing. Two of the three cases have come into contact with previous known cases. Eastern Highlands reported two new cases. Both cases, 43 and 49-year-old men, were experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 at the time of testing. A 47-year-old male from the Kairuku Hiri district in the Central Province is the latest to be reported positive. He was experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 at the time of testing. NCD reported 31 new cases of which 15 are males, 15 females and one unknown. The youngest of them is four years old whilst the oldest is 67. Twenty cases were experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 whilst 11 cases were asymptomatic at the time of testing. Nine of the 31 reported cases have come into contact with previous known cases. Meanwhile, an additional 54 new cases of COVID-19 were reported on Saturday March 6. The latest cases were reported in five provinces: West Sepik with 15 new cases, Madang with eight, Morobe with three, National Capital District with 27, whilst Western Highlands reported a single case. A total of 27 cases of which 13 are males and 14 females between the ages of 28 to 64 years have been tested positive in the NCD. Eighteen cases showed symptoms of COVID-19 whilst nine were asymptomatic at the time of testing. West Sepik reported 15 new cases of which 10 are males and five females between the ages of 33 to 66 years old. Eight cases showed symptoms of COVID-19 whilst seven were asymptomatic at the time of testing. Four out of the 15 cases came into contact with previous known cases. Madang reported eight new cases of which seven are males and a female between the ages of 30 to 49 years. Seven out of the eight cases have come into contact with previous known cases. Three cases were reported in Morobe of which two are males and a female between the ages of 23 to 67 years. All three cases were showing symptoms of COVID-19 at the time of testing. Western Highlands reported a single case. A 25-year-old from Mt Hagen town was showing symptoms of COVID-19 at the time of testing. She is reported to have come into contact with a known COVID-19 case. Meanwhile, the surge in the number of cases has prompted the Controller of the PNG COVID-19 National Pandemic Response, David Manning, to call on the citizens to faithfully adhere to measures in the new normal. Controller Manning reminded citizens of the need for them to: 1. Clean hands often. Wash with soap and water or use an alcohol-based sanitizer; 2. Keep a physical distance of at least 1.5 meters from others; 3. Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth; 4. Greet others with a smile, a nod or a simple hello - no handshakes or or fist bumps; 5. Cough and sneeze into bent elbow and not hands; 6. Limit social gatherings and time spent in crowded places; 7. Wear a face mask or face covering in all public places; and 8. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. “Remember, there is no cure against COVID-19. Our best defence is to protect ourselves and our loved ones by strictly following all the COVID-19 health protocols. By now people should know that COVID-19 is real. It is no joke or a laughing matter. “I am alarmed at the unusually high number of deaths around the country. Whilst we have not yet confirmed the cause of death in many of these cases, the possibility that COVID-19 could be responsible in some of them cannot be ruled out. “So please protect yourselves from COVID-19. By taking measures to protect yourselves you are also protecting others around you as well,” Mr Manning said. The country’s COVID-19 cases as a result stands at 1,583 with 16 known deaths. Seventeen provinces including the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB) have reported cases. The distribution of the cases is as follows: Provinces              Confirmed Cases NCD                       658 Western Province   325 West New Britain   196 West Sepik             162 Madang                  43 AROB                     39 East New Britain     38 Morobe                   28 New Ireland            23 Western Highlands 19 Central                    15 Eastern Highlands   15 East Sepik               13 SHP                         3 Enga                        3 Milne Bay                 2 Hela                         1 TOTAL                   1,583 Globally, the total confirmed cases of COVID-19 has reached 115,289,961 including 425,675 new cases reported in the last 24 hours. The death toll globally is 2,564,560 of which 9,561 were reported in the last 24 hours.

This just in! A total of 91 new COVID-19 cases have just been reported for the last 48 hours in the country. 37 cases reported on Friday and 54 new cases reported in the last 24 hours. This now brings the total number of COVID-19 cases for PNG to 1583 confirmed cases. Continue to practice COVID-19 safety protocols and keep listening to the news on this station & follow our news website: pnghausbung.com for more on this story.

In a show of solidarity with the people and Government of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, the Honourable Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Vanuatu Ismael Kalsakau on Friday officially marked the commencement of the week-long “Haus Krai” to honour the late Grand Chief Sir Michael Thomas Somare, Founding Father of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea and one of the Founding Fathers of the Melanesian Spearhead Group. The Haus Krai, as a symbol of grief in the Papua New Guinea culture, is an area in the MSG Secretariat especially demarcated for the public to pay their respects to the late Grand Chief Sir Michael Thomas Somare. The public are encouraged to visit the MSG Secretariat to lay wreaths and sign the Condolence book until Friday, 12 March. Story and pictures sourced: MSG Secretariat

Controller of the National Pandemic Response and Police Commissioner Mr David Manning has urged people to listen and take heed of health measures as COVID-19 cases rapidly increase around the country. The country’s total positive cases have reached 1,429 with 16 deaths, of which three were reported within days apart. Mr Manning said the number of cases reported in last week was from 20 to 49 a day which is too high, while at the same time health workers are saying the cases are more severe than what they had seen last year. Furthermore, he said this week PNG had also reported more than one case of an expatriate in quarantine which puts the country in danger of importing a new variant which should make people take note and adhere to health measures in place. “We did very well at the beginning but we are now at a point where we are reporting many cases – more than 20 in a day from different provinces. We have outbreaks going on in Madang, West Sepik Province and the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. The high number of cases are also coming from the NCD, Western Province, West New Britain, East New Britain, Western Highlands and Morobe. “While we want to ensure the economy is not affected by not restricting movement of people so they can go about their businesses, everyone has a duty to protect another person as well as themselves by adhering to the health measures in place,’’ Mr Manning said. He said the latest deaths reported on Tuesday are from West Sepik Province which shares the border with Indonesia, one of the countries with a high infection rate. Papua New Guineans living near the border travel to and fro, putting their lives at risk. They could also bring the infection into the country because there are no strict measures in place to protect them. Mr Manning said, “The signs are clear. We are in a difficult situation. COVID-19 is not a new disease anymore. We have evidence of how it is being spread so we need to ensure we are following the health measures in place.’’ Mr Manning said while there are no intentions immediately to restrict the movement of people, they need to listen and ensure they are adhering to the protocols in place while going about doing their businesses. “At the beginning we were saying this disease is only for other countries, but it is here now, spreading among us. The new variants being reported in countries such as the United Kingdom, is now next door. The Philippines, which has a big population traveling to our country has now reported a new variant, too." “The new variants are more transmissible than the original one – about 70 per cent more infectious. There is the danger of us having very high infection rates and not having the manpower and facilities to care for our people,’ Mr Manning said. Mr Manning added that evidence shows that the disease spreads fast in mass gatherings and urged everyone at mass gatherings not to forget to adhere to the New Normal or Niupela Pasin, these include wearing of face masks, physical distancing by 1.5 to 2 metres from the next person; washing of hands (or sanitize your hand if you have a sanitizer); and covering of coughs or coughing into elbow to prevent the spread of an infection. Meanwhile, the two latest deaths reported on Tuesday are of a 70-year-old man who died while in the isolation ward at the Sandaun Provincial Hospital, while the other, a 27-year-old woman, also from Sandaun, was a new mum who had just given birth. Due to having COVID-19, she was being cared for at the isolation ward where she sadly succumbed to the disease. “This is the kind of loss we do not want to continue to see. Families losing loved ones who are still in their prime. Please I appeal to you all to listen and seriously take the health measures in place. They are not just against COVID-19, but also other infectious diseases such as tuberculosis which is a big problem in the country,’’ Mr Manning said.

The Managing Director of the government's national radio and television service Mr. Kora Nou has been tested positive for COVID-19. The Minister for Communications & Information Technology, Timothy Masiu today confirmed that National Broadcasting Corporation's MD, Mr Nou, after showing symptoms, had followed the proper COVID-19 protocols by going for voluntary testing and has since isolated himself at home. "He is on medication and recovering well at home and the COVID Monitoring & Surveillance Unit has contacted him to provide names and contact details of those who were in close contact with him since last Thursday (25/02/2021) who are also been requested to go in for testing," Mr. Masiu said. The Minister said the COVID Monitoring & Surveillance Unit has advised that since Mr Nou was already outside the workplace when he developed the symptoms, the NBC is outside the period of interest, so work must continue unabated. Minister Masiu also reminded the staff to maintain the "Niupla Pasin" of doing things to minimize the current spike in new cases in the country. "Managing Director will continue to work from home and should be out of self-isolation after the required 10 days. I expect all staff to be at work at all times and performing your assigned duties." "It is also critical at this stage as we are preparing to do a live nationwide broadcast of the Founding Father's funeral service in Port Moresby and Wewak and I know all NBC technical, news, and broadcast staff are geared towards delivering this national event," Mr Masiu said.

The National Department of Health thanks Dr Luo Dapeng, World Health Organization Representative in Papua New Guinea, for his dedication and support to Papua New Guinea's Health Sector. Dr Luo Dapeng started working in Papua New Guinea as the Representative in June 2017. Dr Luo Dapeng came to Papua New Guinea with a wealth of experience, especially in communicable disease prevention and control and in assisting Papua New Guinea to meet its sustainable Development Goals of ending the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other communicable diseases by 2030. Dr Dapeng also brought with him a background in managing and coordinating complex emergency responses, which was especially evident with his handling and support of the polio outbreak in Papua New Guinea in 2019 and COVID-19 in 2020. Under Dr Luo Dapeng’s leadership, the WHO has been a significant contributor and supporter of our work in developing the National Health Plan 2021 – 2030; strengthening Universal Health Coverage through access to health services; improving maternal and child health; and strengthening Papua New Guinea’s health emergency capability through better planning, preparedness and response capacity. The Secretary for Health, Dr Osborne Liko said “Dr Luo Dapeng has been a pleasure to work with. No request for support has been too big, especially in supporting Papua New Guinea’s response to managing COVID-19”. Dr Liko further noted that “the WHO staff are always responsive and work closely with all sectors and partners in the health system. I look forward to continuing this strong relationship with Ms Anna Maalsen, who will act as the WHO Representative in the coming months”.  Dr Luo Dapeng is a friend of Papua New Guinea and we are grateful for his work, support and commitment. Dr Luo Dapeng will be missed, and Papua New Guinea wishes him all the best for his next assignment and future.

Air Niugini is upgrading selected flights to Momote Airport, Manus Island, to larger Boeing 737 aircraft from early next month, following recent upgrading and restoration work on the runway carried out by National Airports Corporation (NAC). The Boeing 737 service will touch down in Manus Island at 1035am on Easter Saturday 03rd April. Thereafter the B737 aircraft will become a regular sight at Momote Airport, with non-stop services from and to Port Moresby operating every Saturday. Fokker jet aircraft will continue to service Manus Island on all other days of the week. Air Niugini’s General Manager Commercial Services, Mr. Dominic Kaumu noted, “By using the B737 to Manus Island this will allow the Fokker jet aircraft that currently service the route to be used to increase capacity elsewhere.   “Manus is an important destination in Air Niugini’s network, and the Boeing 737 will carry up to 144 passengers per flight (16 Business and 128 Economy) compared to 101 seats in the Fokker 100. This direct B737 service will take just 1 hour 20 minutes, and will greatly assist in meeting demand whilst offering the fastest, smoothest, and most comfortable flights for our customers.” Once the pandemic is over, and overseas business and leisure passengers return, the Boeing 737 will be a popular choice for travellers to Manus Island. Mr. Kaumu also noted, “Manus Island is one of the more remote Provinces of Papua New Guinea, and the Boeing 737 will carry more freight than the Fokker aircraft currently used. “This will assist with uplifting essential supplies and equipment into Manus Island, and potentially marine produce and other freight from Momote to Port Moresby and overseas. We are delighted to be able to provide the greater capacity and reliability of services that our customers deserve.” Elsewhere Air Niugini already operates daily Boeing 737 services to Mount Hagen, and three Boeing 737 services per week to Alotau. Air Niugini continues to operate with strict health and safety measures in place including temperature testing of all passengers and providing face masks and hand sanitiser to ensure your air travel is safe.

Papua New Guinea reported 63 new cases of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Thursday 4th of March, increasing the country’s total cases to 1,492. The latest cases were reported in Morobe province, West Sepik, East Sepik, Western Province and in the National Capital District. Six cases were reported in the Morobe province in which four were males and two females, ages ranging from 14 to 53 years old. Five of the six cases were showing symptoms of COVID-19 whilst one was asymptomatic at the time of testing. Five of the six cases have come into contact with previous known cases. West Sepik reported seven new cases in which six are females and one is a male with ages ranging from 26 to 53 years. One out of the seven cases was experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 whilst the other six were asymptomatic at the time of testing. Four cases were reported in East Sepik of which two are males and two are females between the ages of 28 to 59 years old. All four cases were experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 at the time of testing. Two new cases were reported in the Western province. The youngest of the two cases is 11 years old whilst the oldest is 23. Both cases are reported to have come into contact with previous known cases. NCD reported 44 cases of which 26 are males and 18 females. The youngest of them is 25-years old whilst the oldest is 65. Thirty cases were experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 whilst 14 cases were asymptomatic at the time of testing. Eight of the 44 reported cases have come into contact with previous known cases. The country’s COVID-19 cases as a result stands at 1,492 with 16 known deaths. Seventeen provinces including the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB) have reported cases. The distribution of the cases is as follows: Provinces                                  Confirmed Cases NCD                                           600 Western Province                      325 West New Britain                       196 West Sepik                                 148 AROB                                         39 East New Britain                         38 Madang                                      35 New Ireland                                23 Morobe                                       22 Western Highlands                     18 Central                                       14 Eastern Highlands                      13 East Sepik                                  13 SHP                                             3 Enga                                            3 Milne Bay                                     2 Hela                                             1 TOTAL                                       1,492 Globally, the total confirmed cases of COVID-19 has reached 114,428,211 including 348,281 new cases reported in the last 24 hours. The death toll is 2,543,755 of which 7,807 were reported in the last 24 hours.

63 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the last 24 hrs increasing the country’s total cases to 1,492. Deaths stand at 16 with 2 recent COVID-19 related deaths reported this week. The latest cases were reported are Morobe province, West Sepik, East Sepik, Western Province and in the National Capital District. NCD reported the highest with 44 cases yesterday. Keep practicing C-19 safety protocols, listen in to the news on this station and follow our news website pnghausbung.com for more on this story.

Vernon Hamei, 35 from Leta in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville and Kaiapit in Morobe Province has rekindled his artistic talent after almost two (2) decades to draw up a sketch of the Late Grand Chief Rt. Hon Sir Michael Somare. “I did the drawing as an act of gratitude and respect in honour of the Late Grand Chief since I couldn't think of anything else I could offer from the bottom of my heart to express my deepest gratitude for the great leader he has been for this nation”, said Vernon. Vernon could remember years ago when he was a kid, his late grandfather was the VIP driver for the Department of Works at that time and he usually was the Late Grand Chief's choice of drivers whenever the Late Grand Chief visited Lae. He said with that feeling knowing that one of his family members knew the Late Grand Chief personally, it inspired him to sketch a picture. “Sadly when my Late Grandfather died in the year 1993, the Late Grand Chief Rt Hon Sir Michael Somare arranged for a helicopter to transport him to Kaiapit, Intoap village in Markham and so the Late Grand Chief has had a huge and great impact in my life”, said Vernon. Mr Hamei started drawing when he was around 10 years old. He knew he could draw but he really did not venture into that talent he had saying that his focus was somewhere else. His passion for drawing was rekindled and he started drawing again two (2) weeks ago. “Drawing is just one of my hobbies but I really hope I can do it professionally and hopefully a lot of people can one day be interested in my artwork”, happily said Vernon. The only male sibling in a family of 3, Vernon resides in Lae and is married with only one (1) child. Vernon currently is Self-Employed and left his job some years back to go back to college to study Architecture but unfortunately left College due to personal reasons. Vernon is also very good with the strings on his guitar. He plays guitar for ‘Lae Jazz Band’, a well-known Lae based pub band who usually performs on private and corporate functions and also do regular gigs around Lae City. He acknowledged the Lord for the ability to express himself through art and he is still practicing to do what they call ‘Hyper Realistic Drawings’ or drawings that look like photographs and oil on canvas paintings. In the near future, he hopes to be able to make some money out of his incredible talent.

The Royals Rugby Union Club (RRUC) were given the nod to participate in the Capital Rugby Union (CRU) Competition in 2021. President for Capital Rugby Union, Mr Kori Chan said that the decision to allow Royals RUC to join the CRU, was a consultative process between the Board and all member clubs, from which a consensus was reached to approve an application from Royals RUC to join the association. “The inclusion of Royals RUC will add value to the CRU as the club has made great strides in developing their club and team culture and player depth, via their junior development programs and community outreach activities in their player catchment areas of 9 mile and Bomana”, said Mr Chan. There will be conditions attached to their membership and details of these conditions will be issued in the coming days and will require agreement between RRUC and CRU. They mainly focus on ensuring discipline, good behaviour and adopting shared values between the club and the CRU competition over a set period of time Royals now join MBB Marlins as the second Club to be admitted to the CRU in 2021, bringing the total number to ten (10) club affiliates. An U17 Competition has been added to the association’s competition structure, thus making the CRU the biggest Provincial Union to date, with a total of six (6) grades per Club; Premier, A Grade, B Grade – U23, U19, U17, Women’s Open. CRU has two (2) more weekends of Pre-Season Matches left, before the revamped and larger CRU Competition commences on the 13 and 14 of March 2021. “We would like to thank all of our original member clubs for their continued support, particularly in 2020 and without their commitment, we would not have been able to conduct a small but successful XV aside competition last year”, said Mr Chan. The Board and Operations Team of the CRU are looking forward to working with all their clubs in what will be an exciting year, as they continue to strengthen the CRU Brand and promote Rugby in NCD and throughout Papua New Guinea.

Extreme weather conditions in Port Moresby had forced the closure of a school this week at Hohola in the National Capital District. Students attending Full Gospel Academy will be missing classes this week after their classrooms were damaged over the weekend. The Hohola school had to close its doors on Tuesday morning and send students home after the classrooms suffered major damage from the strong winds and heavy rains over the long weekend. “We have given our students their activities for the week so they can do that at home while we work on fixing the classrooms.” “Classes will resume on Monday,” said the school principal Mrs Mary Ailai. Mrs Ailai added that parents that haven’t gone in to pick up their kids worksheets, must go to the school to collect them. The school director, Senior Pastor Albert Sengi also made a call to parents and anyone in the community to go to the school and assist them to fix the classrooms for the children to resume next week.