Papua New Guinea has just recorded it’s highest number of positive COVID-19 cases in a day.
Deputy SOE Controller, Dr Paison Dakulala, made the announcement following a meeting with Prime Minister, James Marape and SOE Controller, David Manning.
Dakulala stated that this now brings the total number of confirmed cases to 62 in the country… 49 of those cases were confirmed in the last 10 days.
A total of 10,000 people were screened and tested since the outbreak of the disease and only 62 have tested positive so far.
PNG experienced a lull after reporting eight cases during the State of Emergency period. However, after a month of lifting the State of Emergency and allowing businesses, schools and normalcy to return, it began to see an increase in new cases.
“We are seeing community transmission and I am therefore urging everyone to take our health messages very seriously”
Dakulala urged individuals of the public to take responsibility of their health as well as their families, communities and that of the country by wearing masks, sanitize or wash hands regularly and strongly urged those who have nothing to do to stay at home.
“The Rita Flynn Isolation Facility has a 72 bed capacity and when these 23 cases are all moved there, this will leave only 25 beds available”
Meanwhile the National Health Department is working closely with the NCD Provincial Health Authority to address the accomodation for isolation and quarantine facilities as well as all other issues that need to be addressed in light of the recent spike of cases.
Dakulala urged Health workers and the general public to remain calm and continue to ensure that this disease does not spread.
The National Control Centre has advised of possible control measures to be implemented this week in the nation’s capital.
Other measures on public transport and school will be announced later in the week.
SOE Controller, David Manning, said the measures are necessary to contain the spread of the virus in NCD as we see daily increases.
