The number of COVID-19-related deaths is now at sixty-one.
Incident Manager of the Department of Health, Dr Melinda Susapu, said this in her recent COVID-19 update.
Dr Susapu said the death was reported in the National Capital District.
Also, 257 new cases were reported in three provinces and the NCD in the last 48 hours.
Western Province reported 219 news cases, NCD reported sixteen and East Sepik and Southern Highlands reported eleven new cases each.
The total number of reported cases stands at 6,857.
Dr Susapu said: “This is from the 67,741 tests conducted in the last year.”
She stressed on the importance of maintaining COVID-19 prevention measures, and for frontline workers to consider taking the vaccination.
“The vaccine is important at this time. It prevents you from getting the virus and prevents death also. But this does not mean you should stop wearing masks, or stop sanitising,” Dr Susapu advised.
Meantime, hotspot provinces have increased to five.
“We now have two more hotspot provinces. We have NCD, Western Province, Morobe, Eastern Highlands, West New Britain and now East New Britain. Cases for these provinces are at two hundred plus,” said Dr Susapu.
Manus and Oro are the only two provinces that have not reported any cases; health authorities there are being encouraged to continue collecting swab samples for those who present any flu-like symptoms.
She mentioned also that it is the flu season and many health facilities have been dealing with Influenza-Like-Illnesses (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (SARI) or pneumonia.