Coronavirus crisis spirals out of control in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea (PNG), the Pacific’s largest and most populous country, and one of the world’s most impoverished, is experiencing an uncontrolled coronavirus outbreak after appearing to have avoided large numbers of infections during 2020. The source of the new wave has not been identified.
Hundreds of cases in the past few days have taken the national total to 2,226 and 26 reported deaths, with the capital Port Moresby the worst hit. This represents a sharp surge since the end of February when 1,316 COVID-19 and 13 COVID-19 deaths had been reported.
According to a social media post by a senior gynecologist at Port Moresby General Hospital, Glen Mola, patients are dying of COVID-19 “every day,” suggesting the real death toll is far higher.
PNG welcomes Australia s promise of 8,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses as infections increase at alarming rate
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PNG s health workers are rapidly becoming infected, obstetrician Glen Mola says.
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One of Papua New Guinea s leading doctors says Australia s promise to share COVID-19 vaccine doses is of vital importance.
Key points:
A leading PNG doctor says the vaccines are desperately needed
Misinformation about coronavirus is a problem in PNG We desperately need the vaccine because our health workers are being infected at an alarming rate, Glen Mola told 7.30.
In hotel quarantine in Cairns, the 74-year-old obstetrician is hoping to get vaccinated in Australia before returning to work in Port Moresby.
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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.