2 lockdowns cost gov’t more than $3m on police alone

It has cost the government more than $3m on police alone in the two mock lockdowns staged this year.

Answering questions on lockdown for security reasons following the announcement of three positive cases, as announced by the Prime Minister in the past, Commissioner of Police Mostyn Mangau told journalists today that at this stage there will be no lockdown.

He said like the PM (Manasseh Sogavare) has continuously repeated the virus (Covid-19) is well contained and there is low risk for community transmission.

He adds, considering that there will be no lockdown.

However he says in the event that the virus enters the community there will be lockdown.

Mangau says lockdown is also a costly exercise and in terms of RSIPF alone the first lockdown has cost the government more than $2m whilst the second one $1m plus.

He says the money was used by police alone to mobilize and resource its personnel.

Besides the police, there were also other government agencies like health, NDMO, customs, immigration and some others who also took part in the mock lockdown.

Just today the minister of health and medical services Dr Culwick Togamana announced that the first three positive cases are now negative but there is another additional positive case, making the country’s total case to reach four at the moment.

News@SBMOnline2020