Another death has been recorded as Papua New Guinea's worrying Covid-19 surge continues.
The death of a 40-year-old female from New Ireland province takes PNG's overall death toll from Covid-19 to 68.
The Controller of the PNG National Pandemic Response, David Manning, receives a shot of the Covid-19 vaccine produced by Astrazeneca. Photo: PNG PM Media
So far, 7,634 people are confirmed to have been infected by the virus, with 229 more being reported over the space of a single day on Tuesday night.
The National Capital District remains the worst affected region with more than 3,000 of the cases, and 52 deaths.
The Controller of the PNG National Pandemic Response, David Manning, has called on all citizens to strictly abide by the national isolation strategy.
He wants the disciplinary forces, health workers and other government agencies to ensure they comply.
Manning said citizens must take ownership of their own health by ensuring masks are worn at all times, public spacing of at least 1.5 metres is maintained, and that they wash hands on a regular basis with soap or hand sanitizers.
India sends vaccines
India is providing 132,000 doses of the Astrazeneca Covid-19 vaccine to PNG
PNG has only received 8,000 vaccine doses so far, from Australia, with the rollout beginning last week and progressing slowly.
India's High Commissioner to PNG, Sushil Kumar Singhal, said more doses are on the way from his country.
"I'm very happy to mention that India has accepted the request from the government of Papua New Guinea to supply vaccines," he told EMTV.
"There are some formalities which are being done on the Papua New Guinean side, and we will be able to provide some vaccine to Papua New Guinea also."
Singhal said the doses would arrive next week, distributed under the Covax facility, adding that India was also willing to supply seventy-thousand more doses on PNG's request.
The Astrazeneca vaccine has been approved by the World Health Organisation.
Fijians defy govt plea to return home from PNG
Fijians living in Papua New Guinea say they will not return home despite calls from the government to do so amid the alarming increase of Covid-19 cases in PNG.
Fijians in PNG took to social media to express their concerns over the government's plea for them to return.
Many said there were no assurances about employment once they arrived in Fiji.
Fijians, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of victimisation, said the situation in PNG was not so dire to warrant their return.
They also highlighted concerns about those married to PNG citizens and their children and how the separation could affect them.
Covid-19 health screening at the Jackson International Airport in Port Moresby. Photo: PNG Department of Health
Fiji's government announced this week it was arranging flights for as early as next week to get their citizens out of PNG's capital Port Moresby.
In response to the concerns from the Fijian community in PNG, Health Minister Ifereimi Waqainabete said they were free to remain there if they want.
He said the government had called on Fijians in PNG to return to Fiji because of the mass transmission of the virus.
Out of an abundance of caution as they are Fijian citizens, we have raised our concern on the mass community transmission, the challenges to the health system and suggested for them to return, he said.
Waqainabete said their decision was personal and he respected it.
