The numbers of COVID-19 cases detected in PNG have surged, sparking fears the country’s fragile hospitals and health clinics will soon be overstretched. Australia has announced it will send eight thousand doses of its AstraZeneca vaccine from domestic supplies next week for health workers fighting the pandemic on the frontline.
The number of infections has increased rapidly from below 1, 000 one month ago to 2,269, however across the country, testing very limited. Outside of the capital, Port Moresby testing is almost nonexistent. Government sources warn the case rate could be ten times higher than the figure recorded.
Produced By: Tahlia Kraefft
Featured In Story: Jack O’Shea, Program director at Australian Doctors International
First aired on The Wire, Tuesday, 16th March, 2021