Fifty Three (53) Grade Eight students from the Dirima Primary School in the Gumine District of Simbu were all masked up as they sat for their first National Examination paper today.
The masks were supplied to the students and the invigilators by Dirima Catholic parish priest, Fr. Peter Kim on Sunday after blessing the grade eight’s examination papers.
Fr Kim received close to 10,000 authentically designed masks from his friends in South Korea where he is originally from.
With additional support from his parish council and help of volunteers, fabric materials for face masks were also bought locally, sawn and distributed to the Catholic communities including three agency schools in the parish.
He said the new normal strategies have been applied in his Church on Sundays and he is limiting Church programs and activities as a part of the new normal.
Officer-in-Charge of Gumine Health Centre, George Umba said his health facility, located two-kilometres away from Dirima, has recorded 17 cases so far in the last two weeks of which three patients have died.
OIC Umba said community transmission is already happening in Gumine and he is expecting to see more patients coming in to the health centre.
Meanwhile, the district Covid-19 mobile Team leader, Sr Serah Kaile said, 200 people have already been vaccinated and currently the team is awaiting more vaccinations to arrive as they prepare to visit other communities in Gumine.
