MANUS has stepped up on Covid-19 enforcement operations following the confirmation of 26 positive cases.
Provincial Police Commander, Chief Inspector David Yapu said security forces, comprising police, soldiers and Correctional Services personnel are continuing with their Covid-19 new measures operations in the province that kicked off early this month.
Their focus will be awareness on enforcement of new measures or new normal especially on the following areas:
1. Mandatory wearing of face masks
2. Social distancing
3. Hand washing and sanitizing
4. PMV’s carrying authorized number of passengers with face mask
5. Boats carrying an authorized number of passengers with face mask
6. Monitoring restrictions on boats carrying betel nuts and people from other
provinces into Manus.
7. Assist health teams with contact tracing on confirmed positive Covid-19 cases.
He confirmed that road blocks have been set up in Lorengau town to ensure PMV drivers, crews and passengers are wearing masks and carrying the authorized number of passengers.
There is also sea patrol and surveillance to inspect boats from neighboring provinces involved in the betel nut trade.
In other crime reports, a suspect was arrested and charged for two counts of armed hold up and has been detained at the Manus police station.
The suspect Sipat Kamau, 21 from Sapon village in Lelemadih Bupichuen LLG, Lorengau was arrested and charged for one count of armed hold up at Goumei trading, a Chinese owned shop at ward 1 in September last year.
Mr Yapu said the suspect with his four accomplices held up the manager with a home-made gun and bush knives and stole store goods including mobile phones, cash money worth K6,000 and escaped by foot into the bush.
Their identities were captured on CCTV footage which assisted Police with their investigation and the recent arrest of the suspect at upper ward 6 in Lorengau town.