Travel between districts and provinces is being banned in Papua New Guinea under its 14-day state of emergency announced by the government.
PNG prime minister James Marape (centre) announces provisions for the 14-day state of emergency beginning Tuesday 24 March, alongside police commissioner David Manning and health secretary Paison Dakulala. Photo: Supplied
PNG entered its state of emergency today, as the government seeks to combat the coronavirus pandemic
With the country having registered one case of covid-19 so far, Prime Minister James Marape has announced a raft of emergency measures.
One of them is that people are not able to travel from district to district or province to province in the country.
Public motor vehicles will still be able to operate as normal within those boundaries.
Also, all schools and non-essential businesses are to shut for 14 days.
Mr Marape said essential services would be maintained - that included health services, public utilities, banks, shops, fuel stations, police and defence.
Meanwhile, the first person to have been confirmed with covid-19 in PNG has been transferred to Australia, according to Mr Marape.
The prime minister said the man was "fit and well" when flown out to Australia this morning.
The man, a 45-year-old mine worker, will reportedly be undergoing further medical tests.
Mr Marape said PNG health authorities would retrace the movement of the covid case while he was in PNG in order to be able to map out potential impacts.
Last week, when PNG's government first disclosed the man as a suspected case, it said he had flown to Lae via Port Moresby, after arriving in the country having travelled through Singapore from Europe.