COVID-19 pandemic

Made available through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), this brings the total U.S. government assistance to nearly K12 million ($3.5 million). 

USAID awarded K6 million (USD $1.75 million) to FHI360 to support clinics in the National Capital District, building capacity on infection prevention and control, supporting facilities, expanding testing capacity, establishing response teams, upgrading WASH facilities and facilitating contact tracing.

Central Bank Governor Loi Bakani said this will affect the revenue for government and foreign exchange inflows into the market and to BPNG.

He said PNG, being a price taker, cannot do much about commodity prices.

Mr Bakani also stressed that even domestic tax and customs revenues will be lower given the slowdown of economic and business activities and an increase in jobs loss.

He explained that the only alternative source is external financing.

Globally, nations are taking actions to reduce and control the spread of the virus. 

Between 31 March and 03 April 2020, 36 new cases have been confirmed in the Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs).

As of 03 April 2020, 6 countries (Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas (CNMI), Papua New Guinea, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam and New Caledonia) in the PICTs have reported 153 cases including 4 deaths, excluding the number of cases from USS Theodore Roosevelt currently docked in Guam.

More than 51,000 people have died and more than 208,000 have recovered, according to the university's figures.

The US accounts for the most cases; Italy the highest death toll.

The disease, Covid-19, first emerged in central China three months ago.

Though the tally kept by Johns Hopkins records one million confirmed cases, the actual number is thought to be much higher.

It took a month and a half for the first 100,000 cases to be registered. A million was reached after a doubling in cases over the past week.

Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Marise Payne, says it is a challenge the Australian government is committed to tackling with its Pacific partners, in the long-term interest of the stability, prosperity and resilience of the region.

“Prime Minister Morrison told G20 leaders on 26 March that the Pacific needed to be a focus of international support. As the world’s economies, large and small, grapple with a pandemic that does not recognise national borders, cooperation will be critical,” she stated.

In an interview with this newsroom, Communications & Information Technology Minister, Timothy Masiu, said the deadline, which was initially set for the end of this month, has been extended for another four months.

“By the end of July, the 31st of July, we should review whether we continue to give it some more time or we will definitely close it then,” Masiu stated.

“So that is the announcement from my Ministry and from NICTA.