Papua New Guinea has announced new pandemic measures, permitting international travelers to visit the country without pandemic approvals or quarantine. The new measures, issued by the Commissioner of Police and Controller of the PNG COVID-19 National Pandemic Response, came into effect on Wednesday, February 16.
The key changes to the measures are mainly in regards to international and domestic travel. As part of the measures, tourists may now travel to Papua New Guinea and pandemic approvals are no longer required to enter the island country.
All persons must be fully vaccinated to travel to Papua New Guinea, unless they are under 18 years of age or are a citizen of Papua New Guinea A person is considered fully vaccinated if they have had the recommended number of doses for the vaccine (one dose of Johnson & Johnson, two doses for all others), within the past six months; or they have had the recommended number of doses for the vaccine and they have had a booster vaccine.
All persons traveling to Papua New Guinea must have a valid COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to their original port of departure. Children aged five years and under are exempted from being tested. Travelers arriving in the island country will be tested for COVID-19 upon arrival.
If a person has within the last three months tested positive for COVID-19, a medical certificate from a registered medical practitioner from their country of departure, certifying that the person is no longer infectious for COVID-19 shall be accepted but the individual must still be tested prior to leaving their port of departure within 72 hours and be tested on arrival.
There shall be no quarantine for any person, except for persons who test positive on arrival who shall be quarantined for seven days. It is the responsibility of travel operators to make sure that a person has the necessary documents to board an aircraft/vessel to travel to Papua New Guinea .
The new measures will remain in place for the duration of the pandemic or otherwise as decided by the Controller.
For more information, visit covid19.info.gov.pg.
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