Forty-three members of the Papua New Guinea Defense Force who had been in isolation for the last five days since arriving back from Kiunga, Western Province have all been cleared.
The 11th Platoon for Delta Company from the 1st Battalion Royal Pacific Islands Regiment (or 1 RPIR), since arriving on Wednesday has been in isolation at the PNGDF isolation facility at Camp Aruma in Taurama.
The 11th Platoon from the 1RPIR were deployed in April to boost the number of the troops along with Papua New Guinea- Indonesia border in the Western Province in the whole of nation approach to stop the illegal border crosses moving between PNG and Indonesia.
Commended for their efforts, the contingent have been working alongside the Charlie Company who are currently on border operations along the Southern PNG border to conduct awareness along the border villages and apprehending illegal border crossers and patrolling the border between PNG and Indonesia.
Papua New Guinea Defence Force COVID- 19 Task Force Commander Lieutenant, Colonel Raphael Yapu in media statement has assured that the fourteen-day isolation is standard procedure applied to every member of the Defence Organization traveling in from overseas or from areas of operation where the risks of contracting COVID- 19 is high or where COVID- 19 cases have been confirmed.
The camp has had significant improvements; initially having just recently cleared 10 PNGDF Personnel who were isolated in Australia and were also subjected to isolation here.
Captain Bradley Maniha who is managing the facility confirms rapid diagnostic tests were conducted over the weekend and cleared on Sunday around 2 pm.
Rapid Diagnostic Tests is used to check antibodies which gives an indication if a person has come in contact with the Coronavirus.
By Annette Kora, EMTV News, Port Moresby
