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After almost a year of successfully preventing a large-scale outbreak of COVID-19, the Pacific Island nation of Papua New Guinea (PNG) is currently on the brink of disaster, health experts have warned.
Testing in PNG remains critically low, with just 2,051 tests taken in the first week of March from an estimated population of 9 million people. The World Health Organization found that from that, 17 percent tested positive for COVID-19. Confirmed cases have been reported in 17 of PNG’s 22 provinces.
Since March 7, the last release of a WHO Situation Summary Report, things have only gotten worse. Confirmed cases of the virus have spiked in recent days, with the seven-day average rising to 87 new infections each day. Ninety new cases were reported on March 13.