For months, Papua New Guinea has avoided a large-scale coronavirus outbreak, but in the space of two weeks things have changed.
Key points:
- Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape has demanded a full investigation into the outbreak there
- The country’s recent outbreak began at a lab at the nation’s biggest hospital
- There are fears transmission of COVID-19 may now be widespread in Port Moresby
Until mid-July, only 11 cases had been recorded in the country. Then on July 16, a new case was discovered.
It was a lab technician — who had reported a fever, muscle aches, a cough and runny nose. They’d been working at a COVID-19 testing lab.
It prompted 37 staff at the lab to get tested. That was when three more cases were announced.
The acting Secretary of the Health Department said he was “saddened” to declare all the new cases were staff of the Central Public Health Laboratory.
The lab sits in the country’s biggest hospital, Port Moresby General.
In the days that followed, more cases were discovered at the hospital and in the health department. Staff and patients. Then family members.
It has put health officials in a tough position, being at the epicentre of the country’s most significant outbreak just as the significantly under-resourced system prepares to handle escalating coronavirus cases.
PNG now has more than 70 cases and has recorded two deaths
But the fear