Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

The CEO of the Morobe Provincial Health Authority, Dr Kipas Binga, appeals for monitoring and surveillance systems to be implemented at the Jackson’s International Airport for passengers who are leaving the city.

Dr Binga said it is now evident that those infected in outside provinces were previously in the nation’s capital.

“Pastem it was just assumptions that Moresby might be infecting us,” he stated. “Now it’s no longer an assumption. It has already been documented.

The recent death was a 62-year-old male adult who had an underlying medical condition. He presented himself to the Port Moresby General Hospital for shortness of breath and pneumonia symptoms at 7pm on Wednesday night. He was tested positive for COVID-19 and died around 12.30am yesterday (August 6).

Within the last 48 hours, there were ten confirmed COVID-19 cases (including the deceased) bringing Papua New Guinea’s total cases to 163, said the Controller of the National Pandemic Response, David Manning.

The Controller of the National Pandemic Response, David Manning, said of those 39 new cases, two tested positive in Western Province, one in West Sepik Province and 37 in the National Capital District.

The Sandaun case is the first recorded in the province while Western Province has recorded its sixth and seventh case.

The West Sepik Provincial Health Authority yesterday confirmed that an adult male who had returned last fortnight from a training in Port Moresby was sick and tested positive in Vanimo on GeneXpert on Tuesday night.

This will be the fourth case in the province, with three others announced earlier on April 16^th.

This was the latest report received from the National Control Centre (NCC) yesterday evening.

Another two persons from NCD are part of the three positive COVID-19 cases in the latest GeneXpert testing in the country.

Contact tracing for the Kiunga patient is continuing. The individual has been moved to the designated isolation area for close monitoring while contact tracing and screening of his immediate family and other close contacts is being carried out.

The Morobe Provincial Health Authority (MPHA) made this statement when confirming its recent third case.

On Sunday (August 2^nd) afternoon, a 28-year-old male returned a positive result for COVID-19.

“The person has been contacted plus his family and employer notified,” said the MPHA.

“The person is currently in isolation. The Morobe PHA Rapid Response team commenced contact tracing on the 3rd of August and is notifying all the necessary people.”

Of its three cases, two are active.

The recent increase within the communities exposes many people, particularly the most vulnerable, to the risk of possibly contracting the virus.

Oxfam PNG Country Director, Anand Das, explained that in response to the alarming number of new COVID-19 cases, Oxfam remains committed to supporting the work being done by Government in ensuring the safety of its citizens, especially in vulnerable communities by re-enforcing the need to adhere to COVID-19 protocols and preventative measures.

The cases, mostly health workers and inpatients, are from the Port Moresby General Hospital with only one case in Lae.  

Commissioner of Police and Controller of the National Pandemic Response, David Manning, said yesterday that these new cases now bring the total to 72 known active cases. These include 31 patients under care, with three critical cases, all in the Port Moresby General Hospital, including one on a ventilator.

“There are currently 2 moderate and 26 mild patients under care at Rita Flynn Isolation Centre after ten were discharged today (Sunday).

Responding to misinformation on social media, taskforce chairman and NCD Governor, Powes Parkop, said the COVID-19 pandemic is real.

“We must accept that it’s here. The sooner we accept and come to terms the better and faster we can respond and reduce and eliminate infection and transmission,” said Governor Parkop.

We can all help to stop the spread if we undertake the following protocol:

Deputy Controller of the State of Emergency, Dr. Paison Dakulala while speaking during the daily COVID-19 briefing on Tuesday, said there was a need to increase COVID-19 testings to curb the spread of the virus in the city and country.

“We have to do quite a number more of testing,” he stated.

“We might have probably 10 thousand cases right now as we speak in NCD and we can only confirm that through scale up of testing and that is one of the strategies that will happen as we go forward. From the medical point of view, we will increase the testing.”

The 74 workshop participants are awaiting screening while the Morobe Provincial Health Authority Rapid Response Team has commenced contact tracing and testing.

The CEO of the Morobe Provincial Health Authority, Dr Kipas Binga, confirmed that the 37-year-old man is part of the Health Department’s COVID-19 response team who were collaborating with the World Health Organisation to run a training in Lae.