City Residents Respond To The Mask Up Port Moresby Campaign.
By Alu Aluvula
The NCDC in collaboration with the RPNGC and the PNGDF have set up tents over the past three weeks at various locations in the city to ensure all general public adhere to the recently revised pandemic protocols.
One of the main COVID 19 protocols is the wearing of facemasks and wearing them correctly at all times whilst moving around in public.
The four locations in the city include Manu, Unagi Oval, Waigani, Gerehu and Rainbow areas, which basically cover the three electorates in the city, which are Moresby South, Moresby North East and Moresby North West.
According to NCDC Police reservists and Military Police, many are still non compliant and daily reminders are always constant for those who are still not wearing masks.
"We need to remind them everyday to wear their masks but mainly to wear them correctly covering their mouths and noses completely. Some only cover their mouths while there noses are uncovered. We have facemasks here at our tents so in the event they are caught without a mask, they are called in, advised of the revised pandemic laws and given masks to wear," said some officers.
It was also reported that many seem to only wear masks in the presence of police and defence force officers but whilst they are out of sight many have been seen removing or without their masks.
Meanwhile some members of the public when asked of what they thought of the revised laws on the pandemic replied,...."it's good NCDC has set up these tents, however there are just too many people to contain. The only members of the public that are monitored are those that are within the vicinity of disciplined forces. Many people are also still not practicing the revised laws especially in wearing of face masks correctly and many are still gathering in huge numbers, especially at vending markets. This is now a community transmitting pandemic and given the livelihood of our people on the streets, this is a time bomb...," said a few.
The writer of this story also stated to the public that were interviewed that much awareness of the new revised pandemic laws on social and the mainstream media had been carried out, but when this was stated, the response from the public was....."Yes it's true there has been much awareness done by the NCDC and the relevant authorities, however the issue is not on how much awareness has been done, but rather the main fear now due to the spread of COVID drastically in the last 3 months and recording on average 500 new cases per day was due to public ignorance and also a real lack of what COVID really is and the DO'S and DONT'S!"....said some.
Meanwhile the Commission continues to enforce the Mask Up Port Moresby Campaign which is now heading into a month since it begun.
ENDS/////
