The Commissioner of Police and Controller of the PNG COVID-19 National Pandemic Response has issued new directions on COVID-19 vaccinations for international travel.
The directive which came into effect on Wednesday January 26 and continues in force during the period of the declaration of a pandemic or as amended in writing by him as the Controller, states that no person over the age of 18 is permitted to board an aircraft bound for Papua New Guinea unless they have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 using one of the following vaccines:
· Pfizer-BioNTech;
· AstraZeneca-Oxford;
· AstraZeneca (COVISHIELD/SII);
· Johnson & Johnson (Janssen)
· Moderna;
· Sinopharm;
· Sinovac;
· Covaxin (Bharat Biotech);
· Covovax (SIINVX-CoV2373); and
· Novovax (NVX-CoV2373/Nuvaxovid).
An individual or organisation that fails to adhere to this direction shall be deemed to have committed an offence under the National Pandemic Act 2020.
The direction also states that a person or organisation that allows a person to board for PNG in breach of this direction shall be deemed to have committed an offence under the National Pandemic Act 2020.
Mr Manning said PNG nationals are exempted from the provisions of this directive.
