Friday 28 August 2020 10:50 PM
PAPUA New Guinea reported 29 new cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and one death in the last 24 hours.
This now brings the total confirmed cases in the country to 453. The death toll is now 5. Details of the death will be given later.
Furthermore, of the 29 new cases, 23 are from Ok Tedi mine in Western Province which has increased the total confirmed cases in that province to 166. The remaining 6 are from the National Capital District which now has a total of 268 confirmed cases.
In announcing the new cases, Controller of the National Pandemic Response Mr David Manning has reiterated his call for the health workers throughout the country to step up in their efforts to collect samples for testing for COVID-19 to help show, how far the virus has spread in the country.
He also urges everyone to take heed of the health measures being put out by the National Department of Health and partners, including the media.
“COVID-19 is going to be with us for a long time. We all need to be aware of this and take care of our health as well as our loved ones,’’ he said.
He said experience from other countries, including China show that the most vulnerable are those with pre-existing medical conditions as well as the old and in PNG culture it is the responsibility of the children or the younger population to take care of the old.
“At a time when we don’t have medicine to treat COVID-19, let’s all do what we can to prevent this virus from spreading further in the communities and the country.
“When you leave the home or go out, you have a responsibility to ensure you do not bring home the virus,” Mr Manning said.
The health measures include wearing masks in public places and practising physical distancing by 1.5 metres from the next person in shops, banks, buildings and Public Motor Vehicles.
As of today, a total of 15,592 people have been tested for COVID-19 in the country. Of this figure, 13,386 have tested negative.
Of the 453 positive cases, five have died, the latest of which was reported 24 hours ago, while the recoveries stand at 231. Those still active are 188.
The 11 provinces that confirmed cases so far remain: NCD (268), Central Province (6), Western Province (166) , Morobe (5), East New Britain (2), Eastern Highlands (1) , West Sepik (1), Southern Highlands (1) , Autonomous Region of Bougainville (1), New Ireland (1) and Milne Bay (1).
Meanwhile, Western Province’s closest neighbours – Papua and West Papua – have each reported 23 and 9 new cases respectively in the last 24 hours.
This has increased the total confirmed cases in the two Indonesian provinces to 4,429. West Papua also reported a death, bringing the death toll in the two provinces to 54.
Western Pacific Region on which PNG sits reported 5,099 confirmed cases from 14 countries and areas, bringing the total confirmed cases in the region to 476,133. It also reported 147 deaths from 9 countries bringing the death toll in the region to 10,333.
Media contact: Chief Superintendent Dominic D. Kakas, BEM, DPS
COVID-19 Media & Public Information Joint Agency Task Force
Mobile: 75430557 :Email: ddkakas@gmail.com