Emotional welcome for students in PNG under quarantine in New Zealand

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With a sigh of relief, the first group of Papua New Guinean students arrived at the Jacksons International Airport in Port Moresby Thursday from New Zealand. Picture: POST COURIER

PORT MORESBY, 21 FEBRUARY 2020 (POST COURIER) – With a sigh of relief, the first group of Papua New Guinean students arrived at the Jacksons International Airport in Port Moresby Thursday from New Zealand.

Of the 17 students, only 14 arrived and were welcomed by Minister for Health and HIV/AIDS Jelta Wong, as well as friends and relatives of these students.

The other three could not make it on this flight as it was full so they are expected to arrive today (Friday).

These are the students who were evacuated from Wuhan on the assisted departure flight by the New Zealand government, remained in managed isolation in Whangaparaoa after arriving in Auckland on 05 February.

These students were among 157 guests who had been cared for during their 14-day isolation at the Whangaparaoa Reception Centre, near Auckland, to return to their homes.

Following a final medical check, with no reported cases among the evacuees, they departed New Zealand on Wednesday evening at 6.35pm and returned home, via Brisbane, Australia.

Wuhan PNG Students Association president Christian Tarkap spoke of their gratitude and relief upon arriving back home.

“I urge the citizens of PNG that we were not detected and infected with the coronavirus,” he said.

“We were locked up indoors as that was the safety precaution that we had to take to prevent others from getting infected in China.

“We were evacuated from China and were quarantined in New Zealand because we were at China’s coronavirus epicentre of Wuhan where we are currently studying.”

Tarkap said it was a requirement that followed the quarantine law to go through and this quarantine period ended on Wednesday this week.

“I want to express my sincere thanks to the government of China, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Health Department through the government of PNG and others who have supported us in one way or the other,” he said.

“We are now very happy to be with our families who had been waiting and longing to receive us harmoniously and lovingly.”

Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology Secretary Fr Jan Czuba confirmed that the department paid for the repatriation of the 17 PNG students from New Zealand.

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