Six COVID-19 positive patients have been discharged at their own request by staff at the Mt Hagen General hospital’s Isolation centre on Sunday.
They threatened to harm the health staff so that they could be released to go home and self-isolate.
The Western Highlands Provincial COVID-19 taskforce committee suspended all schools in the province for two weeks starting today after many teachers have contracted the COVID-19 virus.
The suspension is to allow students and teachers who have contracted the virus to self-isolate.
It was recommended by the Provincial Health Authority to suspend classes, after discovering a number of teachers and students have been tested positive with COVID-19.
WHPHA says most of the positive cases are through community transmission from people travelling in from hotspot areas such as Port Moresby, Western Province and Eastern highlands.
So far the province has recorded three deaths in the last two weeks and 64 positive cases.
Most of the cluster cases come from the second death of a person from the Keltiga area, outside Mt Hagen City.
This is also the place where the six positive were traced from.
It is believed they were scared to be isolated at the centre.
The virus is spreading rapidly in schools, businesses and churches, all of which are areas of large gatherings.
Those who have been tested positive were advised to self-isolate, while those with extreme cases are being isolated at the isolation centre.
The centre is also full, as it can only hold up 12 people.
