PNG and COVID - 19

[Duck Pilot]

Check this out https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp.abc.net.au/article/12545602
Quick way to reduce the population.....

Absolute stupidity! They put economics before lives!

[Flyer95]

What you fail to realize is third world nations like PNG and many others in Africa and Asia don’t have the vast government resources that we do here in the first world.

For them it’s have their people starve to death or risk catching Covid... I know which option I would prefer if I was in their circumstance.

[Mumbai Merlin]

My former haus meri, informs me the situation in POM is very serious.
PMV's (buses) started running again yesterday, over crowding is rampart.
Market area's are selling used face masks only suggesting they should be washed first.

There was an article in the Cairns Post Courier a few days ago; the Cairns hospital was sending their A-Team to Port Moresby to assist.

[Duck Pilot]

Flyer, have you ever been to PNG?

Knee jerk reaction, due to the current government destroying all the future natural resources projects.

The country is broke, corruption is an acceptable norm in most areas of business, and then we had the recent botched up drug smuggling enterprise that crashed and burned!

[Pinky the pilot]

The country is broke, corruption is an acceptable norm in most areas of business

Hasn't changed a bit then, has it.:rolleyes:

I absolutely loved my all too short time there but always felt sad for the average PNG citizen when I considered what could be.......if only......:{

[Square Bear]

Flyer95

“Fail to realize” was perhaps a bad intro to your post as I don’t think that the Duck fails to realise much about PNG.

My thoughts are that PNG could compartmentalise quickly and easy if needed......a country of 800 languages and a a quarter more of dialects.

POM is a concern though.

[Mumbai Merlin]

Wake up Prime Minister Marape; you are on a path to being the worst.

[chimbu warrior]

https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/423406/png-covid-19-awareness-team-arrested-under-pandemic-act

Not exactly setting a great example.

[Duck Pilot]

Let’s just wait and see the statistics at the end of the year.

It’s their train set, let them screw it up, they know best.....

Thank God Noah’s Ark can visit all the PNG coastal ports.

[Mumbai Merlin]

China is lurking in the background!
Belts and Roads, free money [sort of]

[packapoo]

Hasn't changed a bit then, has it.:rolleyes:

I absolutely loved my all too short time there but always felt sad for the average PNG citizen when I considered what could be.......if only......:{


Share your sentiments Pinky......

[krismiler]

PNG with its vast natural resources and relatively close proximity, would be of great interest to China. In return for a few major infrastructure projects and a little "consideration" for the politicians, they might get a military base in return.

[Mangi Fokker]

The average life expectancy in PNG in 2017 was 64 years of age.
The average age of COVID19 deaths in Australia is 82 years of age. Worldwide it's in a band between 70 and 90 yers of age.
So very few Papua New Guineans actually reach the most critical age for COVID19 deaths.
This may have a positive impact on PNG's COVID19 statistics.

[Roj approved]

The average life expectancy in PNG in 2017 was 64 years of age.
The average age of COVID19 deaths in Australia is 82 years of age. Worldwide it's in a band between 70 and 90 yers of age.
So very few Papua New Guineans actually reach the most critical age for COVID19 deaths.
This may have a positive impact on PNG's COVID19 statistics.

Hi Mangi,

By the sound of your handle you might have some “in country” time in PNG, something I would have loved to do, but never got the opportunity for anything but ops out of POM.

I think the COVID death range is more related to physical condition than actual age, so your 60 year old PNG local might be the physical equivalent to our 80 year olds.

I’m very concerned this will cause some serious damage to PNG, but here’s hoping it doesn’t. They are very tough people, so let’s hope they can tough it out.

[Bend alot]

The average life expectancy in PNG in 2017 was 64 years of age.
The average age of COVID19 deaths in Australia is 82 years of age. Worldwide it's in a band between 70 and 90 yers of age.
So very few Papua New Guineans actually reach the most critical age for COVID19 deaths.
This may have a positive impact on PNG's COVID19 statistics.
In the US hospitalisation of 0-64 year olds is 331 per 100,000.
65-74 year olds is 207, 75- 84 olds is 347.

The number of people requiring hospitalisation was around 15%, the number requiring ventilators was over 14%.

So while it is true Covid-19 is worse for older people, that statistic reduces when medical treatment is exhausted.

Case rates per age in NY city were only low below 17 years old.

[geeup]

More people in PNG die of HIV, TB, Hep A-Z, Malaria, cancer, bush knife on a daily bases.

COVID is nothing. And even if it was Waigani has not cared about the other diseases above so why is COVID any different???

[olderairhead]

Eighth lowest testing rate per million out of 215 country's reporting statistics. https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

Makes you wonder what the true number of infections really is.

But obviously the government don't care as travel restrictions lifted Updated domestic air travel requirements | Loop PNG (http://www.looppng.com/business/updated-domestic-air-travel-requirements-94059)

Great time to be a flight crew member............. Not.

[Come in spinner]

Flyer 95 is correct it is not good but it is the reality. Pakistan is doing the same, as are many other countries.

[packapoo]

More people in PNG die of HIV, TB, Hep A-Z, Malaria, cancer, bush knife on a daily bases.

COVID is nothing. And even if it was Waigani has not cared about the other diseases above so why is COVID any different???

You missed SOO from that list.

(for the uneducated State Of Origin....it's a dangerous place to be particularly for wives when the wrong team wins in this annual 'Strayan series....)

[Petropavlovsk]

The incumbent Prime Minister has an agenda; backed by the Chinese.
The proposed rebuilding of the Australian-USA joint naval facility at Momote will never go ahead.

[INTERESTED BYSTANDER]

Check your facts. Try 20+ years in country.

[INTERESTED BYSTANDER]

Referring to your reply about Duck Pilot's experience re PNG.

[Magnetomick]

Well at least some had a go,
*Government Coordination Centre established and operational
*Drive thru testing at Taurama Aquatic Centre
*Field hospital set up at Rita Flynn Sports stadium

Like most of the rest of the world it relies on the “people” to do the right thing.

Does buai kill the bug?

[Pinky the pilot]

Does buai kill the bug?

Highly unlikely; It doesn't kill any bloody raskol who chews the stuff!:ugh: Sad really.

Hey Tailwheel; You still got the lyrics to that song, "Kai kai the buai?":E


https://youtu.be/itwTW_X0GsI

Written by the late Larry Danielson from memory.

TW

[Loud Handle]

Highly unlikely; It doesn't kill any bloody raskol who chews the stuff!:ugh:

Perhaps if your time in PNG had not been quite so brief you’d realise that this is not strictly true.

BETEL NUT CHEWING DEADLY IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA | Pacific Islands Report (http://www.pireport.org/articles/2009/02/11/betel-nut-chewing-deadly-papua-new-guinea)

[olderairhead]

Highly unlikely; It doesn't kill any bloody raskol who chews the stuff!:ugh: Sad really.

Hey Tailwheel; You still got the lyrics to that song, "Kai kai the buai?":E

The original song:

https://youtu.be/jMCGUgksP3g

The words:

Once a jolly Chimbu, camped by a marshy swamp
Under the shade of a kokonas tree
Andy sat, Andy watched, Andy waited while his meri worked,
Who'll come and kai kai the buai with me?

Kai kai the buai, kai kai the buai!
Who'll come and kai kai the buai with me?
Andy sat, Andy watched, Andy waited while his meri worked,
Who'll come and kai kai the buai with me?

Down came a puk puk to was was in the marshy swamp
Up jumped the Chimbu and grabbed him with glee,
Andy sang as shoved the puk puk in his bilum bag,
You'll come and kai kai the buai with me!

Kai kai the buai, kai kai the buai!
Who'll come and kai kai the buai with me?
Andy sang as shoved the puk puk in his bilum bag,
You'll come and kai kai the buai with me!

Down came the kiap mounted on his wili wil,
Down came the didiman, wan, tu, tri,
Where's the jolly puk puk you've got in your bilum bag'?
You'll come and kai kai the buai with me!

Kai kai the buai, kai kai the buai!
Who'll come and kai kai the buai with me?
Where's the jolly puk puk you've got in your bilum bag?
You'll come and kai kai the buai with me!

Up jumped the chimbu and jumped into the marshy swamp
You'll never take me alive said he!
ghostly Andy's purri may be heard as you pass by the marshy swamp
Who'll come and kai kai the buai with me?

Kai kai the buai, kai kai the buai!
Who'll come and kai kai the buai with me?
ghostly Andy's purri may be heard as you pass by the marshy swamp
Who'll come and kai kai the buai with me?

[Pinky the pilot]

Loud Handle; I stand corrected.:ok:

Vaguely remember reading in the Post Guria back then that there was a significant risk of developing mouth cancer from using the lime with the buai. Wasn't aware that there was risk of same from the nut itself.

[Jock p]

Oral submucous fibrosis is a very debilitating condition from bui. It literally freezes up the cheeks to the point that it cannot be reversed.

[tail wheel]

I seem to recall a high incidence of mouth cancer particularly in Mekeos, who mined mineral lime, rather than extracting lime by burning shells.

[Office Update]

AIR Niugini has laid off some employees in the airport and engineering sections as a result of the Covid-19’s impact on the airline’s operation, says chief executive officer Bruce Alabaster.
He told The National that all entitlements in accordance with the applicable employment agreements had been paid to them.
Alabaster did not give the number of employees laid off.
He said the airline was seeing a reduced number of passengers during the Covid-19.
He denied a claim that the employees were being replaced by contractors.
He said airline staff reduction around the world was unfortunate and not uncommon during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Even Qantas has had to let over 6,000 staff go and has another 20,000 on leave without pay,” he said.
“Fiji Airways had to let go almost 800 citizen staff or over half of their entire workforce.
“Here in Papua New Guinea, it is understood that PNG Air had also stood down over 600 of its workforce on indefinite leave without pay, or over 80 per cent of its citizen employees.”
Alabaster said it was unfortunate that Air Niugini had to take such steps to ensure sustainability and that the country continued to have air transport.
“It is simply not viable for Air Niugini to continue to maintain the same number of staff when the schedule had reduced significantly.”
He said flights to Bougainville had been restricted in compliance with the state of emergency controller in Bougainville.
Alabaster confirmed that some drivers had been offered alternative employment with a security firm which would be providing bus services to Air Niugini staff.
The airline paid to those laid off 22 months in pay for the most senior ones.
The National Airline Employees Association president Eddie Foe said those made redundant included cashiers, 17 aircraft engineers and eight flight attendants.

[minigundiplomat]

Any update from the ICCC on the takeover of PNG Air? or are they waiting a few weeks for the bankruptcy to make it for them?

[Killer Loop]

https://postcourier.com.pg/png-air-shares-purchase-bid-declined/

[minigundiplomat]

Thanks KL.

Doesn't make much difference in the long run. There will still be only one airline once the ATR's are repossessed.

[Duck Pilot]

Media reports now stating a proposed further de-valuation of the PGK!!!

If that goes ahead there probably won’t be any airlines operating in PNG.

[Mumbai Merlin]

Thursday 10th Sept - PNG Post Courier

The purchase of 40% of PNG Air by Link PNG has been disallowed by the ICCC.

https://postcourier.com.pg/png-air-shares-purchase-bid-declined/

[Duck Pilot]

Hope NASFUND doesn’t milk the superannuation funds of their members to support PNG Air through this crisis.

[packapoo]

Any Maladina's left? ;)

[Killer Loop]

Media reports now stating a proposed further de-valuation of the PGK!!!.

https://postcourier.com.pg/central-bank-oppose-govt-bid/

Looks like the government is trying to get their hands on the printing presses. If that happens the Kina is only going one way!