Thursday 25 February 2021

Papua New Guinea recorded another COVID-19 death today (February 25), bringing the total number of deaths   to 12, while new confirmed cases of COVID-19 infections reach 1,228.

A 63 year old male from West Sepik province is the latest reported COVID-19 death. He was admitted to Sandaun Provincial Hospital on the 19 February  until his death.

The death comes as 89 new cases were  reported in West Sepik, West New Britain (WNB), the Autonomous Region of Bougainville(AROB)  and  the National Capital District (NCD).

Controller of the National Pandemic Response, David Manning, said, “this is the highest number of cases reported in a single day since the beginning of the pandemic in PNG.”

Mr Manning said of  the 89  positive cases,   75 new  cases were reported in West Sepik, 12  in NCD,  and a case each in WNB and AROB.

Of the  75 new cases  from Vanimo Green River,  West Sepik,  39 are males and 36  females with ages ranging between 14 to 78 years.

“Twenty-two of the cases were showing symptoms of COVID-19 whilst 52 were asymptomatic at the time of testing .  Forty-five of the 75 cases came into contact with previous known cases.”

Mr Manning added that a total of nine males and three females between the ages of 23 to 54 were tested positive in NCD.

“Six cases showed symptoms of COVID-19 whilst six others were asymptomatic at the time of testing. Five of the 12 cases came into contact with previous positive cases.”

Mr Manning further confirmed   a 33 year old male  was  tested positive for COVID-19 in West New Britain.

He was not showing symptoms of COVID-19 at the time of testing but swab samples had returned positive.

The Autonomous Region of Bougainville also reported its second positive case in a  42 year old female.

She was   tested positive after   experiencing fever, cough, chills and headache.

The country’s COVID-19 case count  as a result stands at 1,228 with 12 known deaths.

Seventeen provinces including the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB) have recorded  cases:

 

Provinces                Confirmed Cases

NCD                             442

Western Province        323

West New Britain         195

West Sepik                  114

Madang                       35

East New Britain          35

New Ireland                 23

Eastern Highlands       13

Western Highlands      13

Central                        12

Morobe                         9

East Sepik                    5

Enga                             3

Milne Bay                      2

AROB                            2

Hela Province              1

SHP                              1

TOTAL                       1,228

 

Mr Manning added that  the total confirmed cases of COVID-19, globally,  has reached 11,762,965 including 326,531 new cases reported in the last 24 hours.

The death toll is 2,479,678 of which 8,384 were reported in the last 24 hours.

 

Media contact: Chief Superintendent Dominic D. Kakas, BEM, DPS
COVID-19 Media & Public Information Joint Agency Task Force
Mobile: 75430557 email: ddkakas@gmail.com
Police email:                    ddkakas.policemedia@gmail.com
COVID-19 JATF email:    ddkakas.covid19media@gmail.com