Expats flee PNG as Australia shuts borders
20 March 2020
PORT MORESBY – Even as Papua New Guinea's airline, Air Niugini, announced it will cease carrying inbound international passengers from midnight tomorrow, expatriate workers and their families were flooding back to Australia to escape the closure of its borders.
Australia has been a late starter in providing an adequate response to the spread of coronavirus and even now there is controversy about whether it has done enough.
The crack down on foreign nationals represents another step up in a response that many experts have criticised as being too little, too late.
Australia has shortages of coronavirus testing kits, protective gear for health workers, intensive care unit capacity and respiratory equipment.
Meanwhile yesterday was a severely shambolic day for Australians in PNG including diplomats and people working in the private sector and on aid programs for NGOs and contractors.
There is serious concern that if the disease takes hold in PNG – which has so far not had one confirmed case – the poor state of the health system will result in its rapid spread and many deaths.
Statements from here and overseas in the past few days point to the possibilities of utilising an old favourite as a defence against Covid-19.
Who knows? Maybe Chloroquine will re-emerge as a useful weapon in the medical armoury of the 21st century PNGean.
Perhaps enterprising minds in or out of PNG will give thought and action to some trials.
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Thanks Robin but a general caution to readers to only accept medical advice from a qualified medical professional - KJ
Posted by: Robin Lillicrapp | 21 March 2020 at 06:52 AM
Sad scenario for the whole world. If our powerful medicines cannot work to cure people with Cov-19 we have to believe now that God lives and so ask him in prayer to help us.
PNG is a developing country and it has the health system that is unmatched to other developed countries vastly hit by Cov-19.
PNG is only existing in the plan and grace of God. If God planned to destroy PNG with this virus, the population in PNG will wipe out.
But I believe as a Christian that God will preserve PNG.
Posted by: Kenny Pawa Ambaisi | 20 March 2020 at 11:53 AM