Tuesday 23 March 2021

EIGHT THOUSAND COVID-19 vaccines arrived today at the Jacksons Airport in Port Moresby from Australia as part of its ongoing assistance to PNG to combat and fight the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

At the airport to receive the vaccines Prime Minister James Marape thanked the Australian Government and said Australia continues to step in every time when PNG needed help.

Prime Minister Marape witnessed the arrival of the vaccines with the Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea His Excellency Jon Philp, Health and HIV AIDS Minister Jelta Wong, Agriculture and Livestock Minister John Simon, and the Controller of the PNG COVID-19 National Pandemic Response and Police Commissioner Mr David Manning as well as Secretary for Health Dr Osbourne Liko.

Mr Marape said Australia has pledged to support PNG with another million vaccines. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and its partners are also securing almost 700,000 vaccines for PNG in the next two to three months.

“These vaccines are not compulsory for all citizens but would be available for those who feel that they need to protect themselves against COVID-19. Our health workers in the first instance would be given preference before the rest of us,” Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister said he is also willing to be the first person to be vaccinated to show that it is safe for anyone to take.