Papua New Guinea has recorded seven more Covid-19 deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the overall death toll.
The deaths were reported shortly after the PNG's prime minister James Marape took the first jab as the country's covid vaccination programme began.
Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape was the first in his country to get the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine. 30 March, 2021. Photo: PNG PM Media
All seven deaths were reported in the National Capital District, taking the national death toll to 56.
According to the National Pandemic Response Controller, those who died were a 36-year-old female along with six males aged 42, 46, 60, 61, 67 and 71.
The number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus also continues to climb rapidly, jumping another 271 over the past day to 5,620.
PNG's covid vaccination programme began today in Port Moresby where the prime minister James Marape was the first to receive the jab.
Members of his cabinet are also expected to be vaccinated in this first phase of the rollout, in order to reassure the public of their confidence in the efficacy and safety of the Astrazeneca vaccine.
Australia has provided an initial 8,000 vaccine doses to PNG, and signalled that hundreds of thousands more doses will be sent to the neighbouring country in the coming months.
Frontline health staff are also among the first to be given access to the vaccine, if they agree to it.
A number of health frontliners last week expressed concern that they were yet to be fully informed about side-effects of the vaccine, suggesting many workers would refuse to get the jab.
But the Controller, David Manning, told health workers it was in the nation's interests for them to get vaccinated.
While many health workers were among those who have been infected by the virus to date, Manning said that without workers getting protection via the vaccine, the already-stretched health system would totally collapse.
