Canberra, Australia Papua New Guinea prevented the arrival of a flight with Chinese workers after a Chinese mining company claimed employees were immune to COVID-19 in an apparent vaccination trial, authorities said Friday. Pacific Nation Pandemic Response Controller David Manning banned COVID-19 vaccine tests as tears flow after Ramu NiCo Management (MCC) Ltd. claimed to have vaccinated 48 Chinese employees.
Manning also said he had returned a flight with 180 Chinese workers on Thursday as a precaution.
“In view of the lack of information on what these subjects are and what potential risks or threat it could pose to our people if they entered the country, I would have canceled that flight yesterday, just to make sure we continue to act. in the best interests of our people and our country, ‘Manning told reporters in the capital, Port Moresby.
“Until the Chinese government provides that information through the Chinese Embassy in Port Moresby, I will be best guided here by our health and medical experts on what the appropriate steps might be to take when I consider applications from Chinese nationals who they are subject to these vaccination trials entering the country, “Manning added.
Manning said the National Department of Health had not approved any tears.
“Any vaccine imported into PNG must be approved by NDoH and must go through rigorous vaccination tests, protocols and procedures,” he said, and must be pre-qualified by the World Health Organization.
A business letter document titled “Vaccination Statement” said 48 Chinese employees “were vaccinated with SARS-COV-2 vaccine” on August 10.
CHINA DAILY / REUTERS
The statement was sent to Papua New Guinea’s health department and advised that the vaccine could cause false-positive test results in those who received it, the Australian newspaper reported.
Manning wrote to Chinese Ambassador Xue Bing seeking “immediate clarification of the Chinese government’s position on the vaccination statement.”
Ramu is operated by Metallurgical Corp. of China, a state-owned subsidiary of China Metallurgical Group Corp.
Phone calls to Ramu’s office in Papua New Guinea’s city of Madang and to the headquarters of Beijing’s parent company were not answered.
Australia, which is Papua New Guinea’s largest foreign aid provider, had learned that China may have started tearing up a coronavirus vaccine in the region with the help of employees of companies in the state, the newspaper reported .
Australian officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Companies and governments worldwide are racing to create a vaccine for coronavirus. Russian President Vladimir Putin required earlier this month that his country was the first to approve a vaccine, although health authorities say it has not yet been proven. And SinoPharm, a Chinese company in the state, has said of giving experimental shots to its employees before the government approved tests in humans.
Papua New Guinea is a poor country of 9 million people who are mostly farmers. It recorded only 361 COVID-19 cases and four deaths. But infections have increased in the past month, particularly in the capital Port Moresby, where a premise is being maintained as a pandemic measure.
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