Google Translation:
Dili, 02 mar 2021 (Lusa) – Forty staff of the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL), from several points of the country, left Dili today for the municipality of Covalima, where they will strengthen the control of the health fence imposed due to two outbreaks of covid-19.
′′ There are 40 PNTL members who go to Covalima municipality, to support what is needed. They will stay for the necessary time and do what is necessary “, told journalists superintendent Marcos Sequeira, deputy to the Operations Commander of the Situation Room of the Integrated Center for Crisis Management (IGC) in Dili.
′′ The main mission is to provide support in strengthening the health fence across the region, helping to control movements to and from the municipality. PNTL and F-FDTL can be mobilized for civilian support and protection and that’s what we’re doing, helping the Government “, said.
Marcos Sequeira explained to Lusa that the 40 men will join more than 150 PNTL staffs already in the municipality, where there are still police officers highlighted in the IGC regional delegation, which is following covid-19 in East Timor.
Asked about the lack of means facing security forces, Marcos Sequeira said this issue was secondary to the mission and the staff will be working on the ground.
′′ Our mission is to defend democratic legality and defend the nation. We are not concerned about the conditions, our interest is our mission that has to be fulfilled, we will do as much as we can to support “, it said.
′′ The entire PNTL is unreservedly prepared to support, and if FDTL support is needed, we’ll ask for support to ensure the situation “, said.
In addition to the staff of nine different municipalities, the contingent that was sent to the region includes members of the College of Police, the maritime unit and the PNTL Headquarters.
Covalima, which has been under sanitary fence since mid-February, will remain in that situation at least until early April, according to the new state of emergency period rules approved by the Government today.
The health fence that was in force in the neighbouring municipality of Bobonaro will be lifted this week.
Concerns focus on two local transmission outbreaks, one in the village of Onu-Laran, of only 373 inhabitants, located in the juice [local administrative division] of Maudemo, Tilomar’s office, where there are three confirmed cases.
The other outbreak of cases – seven so far, among them the patient ‘ one ‘ who will have infected people in two villages – is Clau Halec’s village, Belulik Leten’s juice and Fatumean’s administration post.
Since the focus of cases was detected, surveillance teams have already carried out more than a hundred tests in three villages – Clau Halec and Belulic Cra ‘ ic in Fatumean, and Onu-Laran – and also in Suai village, the capital of the municipality.
The two outbreaks have been detected during mass testing that coincide with the strengthening of border measures, given concerns about possible contagions caused by irregular entrances of citizens.
Timor-Leste currently has 23 active cases and racks up 113 since the beginning of the pandemic, and no serious case or death has been recorded.
In the last year, Timor-Leste has already had 10 periods of emergency, with the first to be decreed on March 28
The covid-19 pandemic has caused at least 2.531.448 dead in the world, resulting from more than 114 million infections, according to a balance sheet made by the French agency AFP.
The disease is transmitted by a new coronavirus detected in late December 2019 in Wuhan, a city in central China.
ASP // PTA
Lusa / End
