Variant spreads fast: Official

WORLD Health Organisation acting representative in PNG Anna Maalsen says the Covid-19 Delta variant is a concern because it has increased transmissibility.
“It is at least two times more transmissible than other strains of the virus, which makes the spread of the virus much faster and harder to control,” she added.
As of July 13, at least 111 countries, territories and areas have reported detection of Delta.
“However, data shows that vaccination offers long lasting immunity against severe and deadly Covid-19,” she said.
Maalsen said the best response against the highly infectious and deadly variant was to:

• GET vaccinated now; and,
• ADHERE to the Niupela Pasin measures – wear a mask, wash your hands, avoid crowds and stay 1.5m away from others in public places.

“All the vaccines used in PNG are safe and effective and have gone through careful testing to meet international standards for safety, quality and effectiveness.”