PNG records 12 new cases of COVID-19 bringing total confirmed cases to 359

 Papua New Guinea has reported 12 new cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the last 24 hours, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 359.

COVID-19 related deaths remain at 3.

All of these new cases are from Ok Tedi Mining Limited and are all asymptomatic, meaning they had not shown symptoms of the disease at the time of testing.

These 12 cases are from eight dongas that had initial cases. The new cases are being isolated with other positive cases.The 12 cases have now raised the total confirmed cases of COVID-19 to 97 in Western Province.

Furthermore, the 12 positive cases are among 14,438 people that have been tested for COVID-19 in the country since the outbreak begun early in the year. Of this figure, 12,484 have tested negative and 1,416 tests are pending laboratory results.

Of the 359 cases that have tested positive, 3 have died, 196 have recovered and 159 are still active.

On Monday this week the Milne Bay province became the 11th province in the country to report a case, a young woman who showed mild symptoms at the time of testing and is now well and quarantined at home with her family.

The COVID-19 National Pandemic Controller and Police Commissioner Mr David Manning, said ongoing public health awareness nationwide must be scaled up rapidly across the country with provinces taking the lead and emphasis on community taking ownership by ensuring they are not only adhering to the health protocols against COVID-19 but also to avoid stigmatising and discriminating those with COVID-19.

“We need to educate the communities well, so they will not be fearful of COVID-19. They will instead support each other (when one is sick with it),’’ said Controller Manning.

Meanwhile, globally, the total confirmed cases has reached 22,292,441 with a death toll of 783,338.

This is an increase of 21,919,686 million confirmed cases and 767,107 deaths in five months.

In the past 24 hours, there was an increase of 248,933 confirmed cases.

Six countries in the Pacific and Territories, including PNG, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam and New Caledonia have altogether reported 1,226 cases and 11 deaths. Papua New Guinea alone has reported 383 new cases between 11 and 18 August.

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