Port Moresby -- The Papua New Guinea government on Monday reported six Covid-19 related deaths and 368 new positive cases, increasing the total number of cases in PNG to 7,406.
According to a press release from the PNG government, the most recent deaths were recorded in the National Capital District, New Ireland and Morobe provinces.
The ages of the fatalities ranged from 28 to 70.
The Northern Province reported its first three cases of Covid-19, aged 37 to 60. Two cases were asymptomatic while one was showing symptoms of Covid-19 at the time of testing.
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The largest number of most recent Covid-19 cases was reported in Western Province, with 108 new cases, which included a a five-year-old.
The country’s Covid-19 cases now stand at 7,406 with 67 known deaths. Twenty provinces including the Autonomous Region of Bougainville have reported cases.
Police Commissioner David Manning urged residents to follow Covid-19 health protocols to contain and stop the spread of the virus.
“There is no cure for Covid-19. The only way now to stop yourself or your loved ones from getting Covid-19 is to wear face masks, regularly wash or sanitize your hands, maintain a physical distance of 1.5 meters and avoid crowds,” said Manning, controller of the PNG Covid-19 National Pandemic Controller.
The PNG residents are urging the government to release information on the number of active Covid-19 cases and the number of people who have recovered.
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Manning said this information is currently not available. Each Provincial Health Authority is responsible for monitoring and reporting data on cases identified in their respective province.
“In order to determine if an individual diagnosed with Covid-19 is still considered an ‘active’ case or ‘recovered’, their clinical status and the time that has passed since they tested positive for Covid-19 needs to be monitored and reported to the NCC daily,” Manning said.
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The length of time a case is considered to be "active" and infectious and the length of time a case needs to be isolated, varies from person to person, accordign to the government's press release.
"Asymptomatic cases that never develop symptoms are considered active for 10 days from the date their positive swabs were taken. Symptomatic cases are considered active for 10 days after the date of onset of their symptoms, and they must be symptom-free for at least three consecutive days prior to release from isolation," the press release said.
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