News and Public Notices

The Autonomous Bougainville Government through the Bougainville Executive Council (BEC) has created a Ministerial Task force on Covid-19 today following the surge of Delta variant cases in other provinces of Papua New Guinea.

This task force has been established with recommendations from the Department of Health to set up important measures to prevent the delta variant from entering Bougainville.

Acting Chairman of the task force and Minister for Public Service Honorable Emmanuel Carlos Kaetavara announced this today, adding that the ABG will be putting in strict measures to ensure the health and wellbeing of Bougainville's citizens.

"This new delta variant can be transmitted rapidly from one person to another and cause deaths, therefore the government is working with the health department to see that important measures are put for the people to follow," he said.

Since the outbreak of Covid19 and the set up of the Pandemic Act in 2020, an Emergency Response Team (ERT)had been established in 2020 to address the Pandemic.

Minister Kaetavara said the ERT  had a response plan to contain the spread of infection and they will be working together to finalize the measures.

Meanwhile statistics has shown that as of October  2021:

- 235 684 121 cases have been confirmed globally

- 4 815 133 deaths were recorded globally

Whilst in PNG,

- 21, 365 cases of Covid19 have been confirmed

- 235 deaths of Covid19 were recorded and currently there are 137 confirmed cases of the delta variant from 10 provinces in PNG.

Minister Kaetavara says that while no cure for the corona virus had been found, medical experts and scientists have created vaccines that are currently been administered and encouraged the people of Bougainville to get vaccinated.

He said the delta variant spreads infection rapidly and can cause death so in order to protect ourselves and our people, Bougainvilleans should get vaccinated.

Meanwhile, the new measures are currently been finalized and should be announced next week.

Minister Kaetavara has called on all citizens to be responsible and follow the new measures when they are announced.

"The government will be making these changes, however, it is really all the citizens responsibility to follow the measures and making Bougainville safe from this disease," he said.

Minister Kaetavara added that the government has a responsibility for preparing it's people for independence and people must help the government by being responsible citizens and follow the measures as well as observe the 'new normal'.

New normal or niupla pasin included wearing of masks, washing of hands and keep a distance of 1.5 metres away from others.

The Ministerial Task force is made up of Ministers from the Department of Justice, Community Government, Finance and the President as the acting Minister for Health.

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