papua new guinea

Five new Covid-19 cases recorded in Papua New Guinea

Four of them are from the Tabubil township in the Western Province and one case is from the National Capital District, all were men.

This brings the national total of Covid-19 cases to 516 with six deaths from the coronavirus recorded so far.

The majority of Papua New Guineans who have tested positive have displayed only mild to moderate symptoms of the virus.

The controller of the national pandemic response, David Manning has again repeated calls for residents to strictly adhere to Covid-19 regulations to prevent community transmission.

     

Nauru removes PNG from safe countries list

PNG is struggling to contain Covid-19 with 359 cases confirmed there yesterday, the majority in the capital Port Moresby.

Nauru remains covid free but continues to prepare its health facilities for a potential outbreak.

The government said special requests from individuals for coronavirus testing prior to departure from Nauru would soon be accommodated but it would be a paid service because it falls outside mandatory testing requirements.

Nauru has also been working to allay fears surfacing in the community that the coronavirus could be imported on cargo.

UAE sends medical aid to Pacific Island countries in fight against COVID-19

The countries include Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Cook Islands, and Niue.

Commenting on the delivery, Abdulla Al Subousi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the UAE to Australia, said, "Today’s aid shipment to Pacific island countries reflects the UAE’s continued efforts to support and stand by these countries to contain the spread of COVID-19 by providing critical medical supplies and protection to strengthen the efforts of healthcare personnel."

Modern slavery rife in NZ and Pacific Islands, charity claims

The Walk Free report identifies cases of forced labour, commercial sexual exploitation of children, and forced marriage in the Pacific.

The report, Murky waters: A qualitative assessment of modern slavery in the Pacific region, said exploitation was fuelled by widespread poverty, migration, and the abuse of cultural practices.

Masks to be distributed after rise in COVID-19 cases in PNG

James Marape's announcement takes the total number of cases confirmed in PNG so far to 27, over half of them having emerged in the past week.

Most of the new cases are health workers at Port Moresby General Hospital where all non-essential services have now been suspended.

This week, a terminally ill patient with advanced cancer who died at the hospital was found by a post-mortem examination to have had the coronavirus.

Earlier the government announced a cluster outbreak at the Central Public Health Laboratory on the hospital premises.

Woman buried by landslide after quake in PNG's Sohe district

The magnitude seven quake struck at a depth of 85 kilometres near the border of Morobe and Oro provinces, off the north coast of New Guinea.

Nohoro Akai from the Oro disaster office said a full assessment of damage to buildings and infrastructure was still pending.

But an initial assessment showed that a number of landslides occurred.

"Actually we had a few landslides that covered much of the river systems, not all of them.

Final Bougainville referendum report presented to PNG

That non-binding vote registered 98 percent support for independence, with consultations between the two governments expected to run for a year from this September.

The Commission presented its final report to PNG Prime Minister James Marape in Port Moresby on Thursday.

The BRC chair, former Irish prime minister Bertie Ahern said "the peaceful vote signalled the end of just the latest step in the long-standing Bougainville-Papua New Guinea peace procoss."

PNG to look at Covid-19 measures beyond State of Emergency

Prime Minister James Marape said the government had been advised by technical and health experts to extend the Covid-19 national emergency but it was considering other options.

Mr Marape said once the the emergency ended then a specific Act of Parliament would embrace how people lived, used transport, went to school, and conducted themselves in order to keep defences strong against the coronavirus.

He said Cabinet had directed the Health Department and State lawyers to come up with a specific Act.

Ten bodies recovered from PNG landslide which buried 12

The weekend landslide in Tendepo ward of Tambul-Nebilyer district came amid a bout of heavy rain

District administrator Phillip Talpa said an excavator was quickly sent to the area with help from police and the local community.

"They were able to dig out 10 bodies. Two are still believed to be buried under ground. The excavator is already on site, digging a few sites that they believe the bodies are hidden under."

Mr Talpa said that with ongoing rain, there was a high risk of more landslides occuring in the area's hilly surrounds in coming days.

PNG’s first imported COVID-19 case

In a press briefing at the APEC terminal at Jackson’s International Airport, Marape said the ‘person of interest’ was one of 19 arrivals who were identified, isolated and observed.

“Of all these 19 persons of interest, tests have been run on them simultaneously until the one that came out red. The person who is in red, we are still running further tests on him and if he comes out green then he will be allowed to step out of his current confinement.”