PNG flight bans to hold back COVID-19 threat

Australia is suspending passenger flights into Cairns from Papua New Guinea for at least a fortnight and putting a stopper on FIFO work movements in light of the explosion of COVID-19 cases in that country. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the government would be suspending all outbound travel exemptions for Australians to PNG, except for essential and critical workers, including humanitarian and medevac-related activity. "This will include no general FIFO work," he said at a media conference today. Prime Minister Scott Morrison. "You FI or you FO. If you're there, you stay. If you're here, you stay. We cannot risk more people going into those areas and then coming back to Australia." As at March 17, of the 40 active COVID-19 cases in Queensland, 20 are confirmed cases who are inpatients in Queensland Health hospitals that have come from Papua New Guinea. Starting at midnight tonight, the Federal Government plans to further reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission from PNG to Australia by suspending passenger flights from PNG into Cairns and suspending all charter flights from PNG to Australia, with limited exemptions for medevac and other critical flights. Mr Morrison said also Australia would work with PNG over the next fortnight to move from a 96-hour pre-departure screening to a 24-hour pre-departure screening. Increased medical support for PNG "We will also be beefing up the medical support we're providing by gifting essential PPE to PNG," he said. "That includes one million surgical masks, 200,000 P295 respirator masks, 100,000 gowns, 100,000 goggles, 100,000 pairs of gloves, 100,000 bottles of sanitiser, 20,000 face shields and 200 non-invasive ventilators." The Queensland Resources Council stressed it did not cover resources operations in PNG, but said FIFO operations would be managed in consultation with the Australian, PNG and Queensland governments and their health authorities. In relation to the movement of resource sector workers in the Torres Strait and on Cape York, QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said Queensland resources companies would continue to follow the advice of the Queensland Government and its Chief Health Officer. "Queensland’s resources sector will continue to take every step to keep its workforce and resources communities safe while keeping people working and earning to see our economy through this pandemic," he said. An average of 50-60 people per week have been flying into Cairns from PNG in the past six months, according to Cairns Airport. Ok Tedi Mining suspended all flights to Cairns on March 5 following reports that five of its passengers who travelled out that week tested COVID-19 positive while doing their hotel quarantine in Cairns. It took that further yesterday by announcing that those charter flights would remain suspended until further notice.

PNG flight bans to hold back COVID-19 threat

Industry Queensland

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