Manning announces new Covid-19 test protocols

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HEALTH officials will treat as suspected Covid-19 cases people complaining of respiratory illnesses, pneumonia and severe acute respiratory infections, an official says.
State of Emergency Controller David Manning issued the order yesterday saying the “suspected cases” will be managed using the Covid-19 infection prevention and control protocols and must be tested within 24 hours of being admitted.
“All respiratory illnesses, pneumonia and severe acute respiratory infections will be considered as suspected Covid-19 cases until a test is conducted that returns a negative result,” he said.
“This is regardless of travel or case contact history.” The Port Moresby General Hospital, provincial health authorities and private hospitals are also required to submit daily reports by 6pm to Manning.
The reports must include case investigation forms for all suspected Covid-19 cases, details of deaths relating to respiratory illnesses, the number of persons swabbed for Covid-19 testing and any other information they are directed to provide.
Where a cluster of respiratory illnesses or influenza are reported through a health facility or a village, church and school, the provincial health authority must organise to “swab between five and 10 cases from the cluster for testing”.
Then it must be reported to Manning or his representative within 24 hours from the identification of the cluster of cases. All provincial health authorities have been given the powers to swab for the purposes of testing for Covid-19 a minimum of five patients with influenza-like symptoms per week.

2 comments

  • We believe this new covid-19 testing protocols must be fully recommended by WHO and may similar to the one being used by all the other developed nations to identify whether it is really covid-19 symptoms or other similar illness.From the previous experience shows that our testing protocols are outdated and not matched the result when second and third test conducted from Australia where many of our people are victims of being defamatory,lets hope this never happens again..

  • Why not treat them as negative until proven COVID19 positive? Is there an agenda to inflate the numbers of COVID19 cases in PNG? An agenda to prolong the SOE? To destroy our economy and livelihoods?
    To date with testing and retesting all showing negative. The only absolutely confirmed positive case was an expat who left.
    Government should not be listening too much to the aid donors – yes, they are here to help, but there are often other interests at play. Just saying because this COVID19 issue has brought PNG to its knees economically.

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