With the recent rise in COVID-19 positive cases in PNG, peak bodies representing industry, the private sector, and development partners are urging their members to take the lead in promoting and enforcing necessary virus prevention protocols.
In a joint statement released recently, the PNG Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PNGCCI) and the Business Council of PNG (BCPNG) reminded businesses to introduce the Niupela Pasin (New Normal) at every workplace.
The Niupela Pasin contains the following steps to protect staff, customers, and the general public at all workplaces.
- Stay at home if you're sick.
- Don't bother going to work. Do not mingle.
- Call the COVID-19 Hotline at 1-800200 if you have a fever, cough, sore throat, or trouble breathing. If you've been told to self-isolate, you should do so right away.
- Maintain a distance of at least 1.5 meters between yourself, your coworkers, and your clients.
- No handshakes or fist bumps! Simply welcome each other with a smile, a nod, or a quick hello
- Door handles, phones, keyboards, elevator keys, kitchens, and bathrooms should all be cleaned and disinfected on a regular basis.
- Hands should be washed regularly with soap and water, or an alcohol-based sanitizer should be used.
- Sneeze and cough into your elbow, or use a tissue and throw it away as soon as possible.
- Reduce the amount of time people spend in the workplace. Limit wide in-person meetings and instead conduct them over the phone or over the internet.
- To protect yourself and others, wear a face mask or face covering in all public places.
- Work with your physicians to figure out how to stay safe whether you're worried about your health or have underlying medical conditions.
“These are measures that are now a normal part of life in the New Normal,” it said. “As the voice of business, the private sector and development partners, we remind all our members to ensure that all measures are taken to protect everyone from COVID-19. This is a shared responsibility, which we all must play our part in addressing. Given the recent spike in community transmission resulting in increased positive COVID-19 cases being reported, and the continued constraints faced by our health facilities, it is important that we take the lead in promoting, and practising COVID-19 prevention protocols,”
