Coronavirus

The government has reached an agreement with Roche Products to supply 15,000 doses of the COVID-19 antibody-based therapy Ronapreve.

Mr Hunt said the intravenous treatment given in the early stages of infection provides a 70 per cent reduction in the likelihood of someone being hospitalised or dying.

“These doses are to be in Australia during the course of October and subject to TGA approval,” he told reporters in Canberra on Sunday.

Glanville clarified that only the COVID-19 limit has been reached while there is still space for those who have died from other causes.

“Toksave em stap ya, em lo COVID tasol bikos em liklik speis na COVID bai kisim sikspla bodi tasol,” he stated. (The notice that was given was for COVID-19 only because we can only take six bodies.)

“Mipla no save miksim COVID bodies na nomol bodies. (We don’t mix COVID bodies with normal bodies.)

Managing director, John Glanville, said they had to make the tough decision after a staff member contracted the virus.

The Glenrowan Investments Funeral Home in Lae is the only death care service provider in the Momase Region.

Started by retired army colonel, Ian Glanville, and his adopted son, John, the family business established a setup in Goroka in 2011, expanded to Lae’s 14-Mile in 2015 and are currently building another facility in Madang.

John Glanville is running the Lae operation and has been working as a funeral director for 27 years.

Millions of people suffer from symptoms of long Covid, doctors estimate. Now, early research is offering some clues about whether vaccinations might help.

Australian Health Minister, Greg Hunt on Thursday rejected reports CSL would stop producing the vaccine in Melbourne this year, as coronavirus cases reached a new national daily record.

“CSL and AstraZeneca are on track to complete the full 50 million-dose production run in Australia and the 3.8 million supply from overseas,” he told reporters.

“Our expectation and our plan is that that program will be completed in full. All of those extra doses are being supplied to the region.”

Provincial program advisor for education, Keith Tangui, said the three primary schools are Omili in Lae, Erap in Nawaeb district and Menyamya.

He said three teachers in Menyamya primary have contracted the virus, including a Grade Seven student.

“Omili we have got one teacher who was infected with COVID-19, including Erap,” stated Tangui.

Tangui said head teachers have already started contact tracing, where persons of interest will be isolated.

“Those who are suspected of having COVID will be transferred down to the Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium to get tested.

National Pandemic Controller David Manning issued this directive yesterday, as per section 9(1)(a), 9(1)(r), 39, and 47 of the National Pandemic Act 2020. The directive is in effect, as of Wednesday 13 October, 2021.

Western, Sandaun (West Sepik), Western Highlands, Eastern Highlands, Morobe, Chimbu, Enga, Hela, Jiwaka and Southern Highlands are the high risk provinces.

Fifty-two health workers attended the training conducted by Nigel Uaiz, the NGI Coordinator for Covax Vaccination.

West New Britain provincial Health Authority’s Director of Public Health, Dr Joseph Nale had opened the training.

The training was facilitated to educate health workers with the Johnson and Johnson vaccine brought into the province.

This is the second training with the first being when AstraZeneca vaccine was brought into the country.

PMGH’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Paki Molumi has expressed that the current COVID-19 surge is the worst so far and the numbers are alarmingly increasing.

As of Monday 11^th October, two more COVID-19 deaths were recorded, with 169 confirmed cases, 133 being admitted to PMGH and 33 at Taurama Aquatic Centre new COVID-19 holding facility.

The Taurama Aquatic Centre has now been fully dedicated to the moderate and low risk cases, relieving PMGH to deal with more severe cases and to return to normal operations.

Vaccination Programme Leader Sarah Hartnall says the vans can travel to places where the vaccination buses can't.

"Access is really good for most people in Auckland. For some people it's hard and they might live rurally, they might have other access barriers.”

She says “these vaccination vans are about going to them and being able to go out on the little roads that our busses aren't able to get on."

Pacific, Maori and primary care providers picked up eleven of the so-called vaxi vans, and another thirty are set to go into action soon.