By SIMON ERORO
THE Covid-19 issues relating to refugees accommodated at the Shady Rest Hotel is resolved and the five refugees who are Covid-19 positive have been quarantined, says Chief Migration Officer (CMO) Stanis Hulahau.
Mr Hulahau said all citizens and foreigners residing in Papua New Guinea must be informed that he has taken proactive measurers to address Covid-19 issues in the Authority (ICA).
He told the PNG Bulletin that by now all the media in the country should have his contacts to contact him about any issues on Immigration and Citizenship Authority (ICA) anytime and avoid reporting wrongly in the media.
The issues on refugees misreported by the ‘The Pacific Guardian’ – asserting 130 refugees from Manus now on the loose in Port Moresby that are becoming the super spreaders of covid is irresponsible.
“Yes, I can confirm five were tested positive, quarantined and are all Ok, but to report that they refused to go into isolation in the last few days, running around with their many girlfriends and their relatives in the past few days and weeks is misreporting.
“This is a news report that’s back dated and full of garbage,” Mr Hulahau said.
It further raises bias claims that they (refugees) have refused to be tested and when tested positive, they refused to be isolated and other 80 are yet to be tested. The report claimed expectations were for more Covid-19 positive tests, and they were still running around in the city freely and accountable to no one.
Meanwhile, Mr Hulahau also confirmed one ICA staff was tested positive for Covid 19 and to protect all other officers, he had liased with Secretary for Public Service Commission Taiaes Sansan to lockdown the whole Central Government Building and commence sanitation.
He said all PNG Immigration staff at Waigani office has gone through Covid-19 tests.
