Woman tests positive

The National Main Stories
David Manning

A WOMAN in Eastern Highlands has been tested positive for the coronavirus, becoming the eighth confirmed case so far in the country.
State of Emergency Controller David Manning said the 45-year-old woman was admitted at the Asaro Health Centre on April 12 after developing a fever and complained of body aches and shortness of breath.
On April 17, her samples were collected and sent to the PNG Institute of Medical Research in Goroka. Her test result which came back on Tuesday showed that she was positive.
“For quality assurance and best practice, we are doing a second test for this patient,” Manning said.
“This is also being done for the seven positive cases that we have tested already.”
The Asaro Health Centre is currently locked down for disinfection. Staff have been advised to home-quarantine themselves. They will be kept under surveillance.”
He said the provincial health authority would be looking after the Asaro health centre staff during its lockdown.
“The management is also working with the police to manage any potential social issue arising from this case,” Manning said.
Manning reiterated the orders he made on Tuesday that:

  • Universities and tertiary education resume Monday, April 27;
  • Primary and secondary schools to resume on May 4. All Covid-19 health protocols must to be strictly observed;
  • Public transport remain banned except for taxis which should carry a maximum of three passengers at any one time. They will cease to operate during the curfew hours from 9pm to 6am in Port Moresby;
  • Domestic flights are to resume but only to provinces where there are no confirmed cases of Covid-19;
  • All ships may berth and unload cargoes only. No passenger is allowed to disembark and no one is allowed to board. At all times personal protection equipment must be worn by crew members and port workers.

Manning said he was also thinking about the plight of the thousands of workers laid off five weeks ago.
He is having talks with the Department of Labour and Industrial Relations, workers’ unions, employers and the Government to find a solution.
He also reiterated his warning to police officers not to harass or mistreat members of the public during the lockdown and curfew.
“My warning still stands. I will come down hard on any member of the constabulary who abuses citizens during the state of emergency,” he said.
He urged people to call the Police Internal Affairs hotline 3202634 to report any misconduct or abusive behaviour by police officers.

30 comments

  • Can we get factual reporting on the confirm cases of Covid 19 positive cases.

    The real confirm case in the contry should be now at 6 and not 8 as reported.
    Why continue to include the expatriate who has already left the country and the women in ENBP whose recent test has return negative.

  • Proper and credible testing as aprove by WHO should be carried out and not in haste.
    This village women should have contracted the normal cold and flu virus and might have previous symptoms of asthma.

  • looks like a lot more unexpected positive cases will emerge just looking at the trend.
    the virus may have been here well before the lock down but being a malaria prone country, our peoples immune system have been effectively fighting it off without anyone realising. we have been taking strong anti malaria drugs for the last 30yrs or so. just food for thought.

  • Thanks David Manning for your tireless effort at this time. Also take this into consideration as most primary and secondary school student mostly rely on PVM transport to go to schools so kindly look into this.

  • It’s about time the Covid 19 NOC team get to the remote areas, islands etc and get samples (up to 200-300) and do comparative testing. These samples must be taken from people right across regardless of symptoms. A very comprehensive analysis must be done on these samples. If majority or all of the samples prove negative, it can be said that Covid 19 is new to PNG. Otherwise if a significant number returns positive or say some trace of the virus is found, we can say that Covid 19 was here in PNG long before it was even detected in China. We have been living with the virus for ages.

  • This lady travelled from Vanimo to Lae onto kundiawa and came back home to Asaro EHP. So you yet skelim.

  • The testing being done in PNG, are technicians observing the virus structure or the antibodies? I seems to believe that similar sort of antibodies for any respiratory disease if technicians are looking for COVID-19 antibodies.
    Why saying this because a lady in East New Britain who tested positive is an asthmatic as some people are saying. And also there is no infection found from any of her contact. Now a positive case in Asaro, EHP. How she got the virus if she has been at her village all this time during lock-down period. Amazing. The only possible prediction is “COVID-19 been in PNG since December and or before lock down as many are saying. PNG land of Unexpected

  • Marape should be patient and wate a little before opening up the country.We are a small economy and we cant control this virus if it gets out of hand.

  • Marape shouldnt be quick to judge and lift some restrictions. He should rather be patient and wate to see the outcome of the virus before making any decessive decisions. The countries 8million plus peoples life depends entirely on your hands. Do what you think is right for you as the PM and the people of this wonderful country and stop listening to advisors.

  • COVID-19 was in the country since October last year. One can remember around November – January 2020 there’s is a flu type symptoms people commonly termed as Tiger Flu/malaria? Symptoms is just like covid-19. PNG people live with it because of their solid immunity which is naturally rich in Vit A, D and E and not dependent on supplements.

  • How can a simple village woman be infected with covid-19? Why government so quick to give information suppose to leave until 2nd or 3 rd test comes out to be positive then announcement can be made.

  • How can a village old woman who is in her village long a go when SOE being decleared and lock down everything,our country doesn’t have a proper testing kits in place so how can we publicise on the media when only first test is done,there’ll have to be second and thirt were it proves positive then we should put on media rather than panicking the whole entire nation with a single test result….think twice before we front the media just like the ENB woman..

  • Those who are in charge in regulating the COVID 19 Case including the Government should be very cautious before allowing normalcy to retain. As when we are healthy and alive we can take part in every activities that you can mention it the list goes on. So let us not to regret after all.

  • How can a village old woman test positive when in her village quite long before lock down and decleared by our government.Please trace her previous movement within her village and province carefully….

  • It seems that the number of cases have been increasing in the country. How effective is the government working around the clock to stop this pandemic. The people traveling from province to province are they been properly tested and cleared by the SOE Controller before leaving for another province. If the government serious about this pandemic virus, it should impose a strict regulations and lockdown in every part of the country before it is too late. Cause the Health Department of this nation will never cope with it when there is a outbreak.

  • We have covid-19 confirmed cases from Momase, Niugini, Southern and now we have in the Highlands region. So what’s the strict control measures put in place by government to contain people spreading the virus and dying.

  • Not all university student are reside in the campus. With restricted PMV how can the day student make it into their respective schools.

  • Can we get a Test sample of both Common flu and COVID-19 Virus and differentiate it since our common flu has the same symptoms as COVID-19. If both Common flu and COVID-19 testes are return positive then Doctors must understand, don’t just blindly go ahead and say she is COVID-19 positive because of her samples turns positive. Before you publicize anyone with COVID-19 positive to the whole country of approx-9million populations, you need to proper documented and investigated how the COVID-19 reach such a remote place. Please don’t mislead this Christian Nation. Don’t put a panic burden? She must have a common flu not COVID-19.

  • Question:
    Again it may cost the GoPNG but would it be advisable to collect two samples to be sent to two different testing facilities for those still in doubt?

  • Do your 50 percent, eat healthy stay healthy, God will do his part to protect you. Don’t let your guards down and observe COVID 19 safe keeping measures. It’s better to be safer than sorry. One love

  • If the number of Corona Virus positive cases increase, then WHY the government allow students to go back to school????????????????
    When students go to school, they are going to spread it very quickly.

  • We are into 6 months of the pandemic. 8 positive cases in Country of 8 million people.
    No one has been hospitalized, and NO DEAD from Covid 19..During the period of the lock down lot of people have died through other illnesses like malaria,TB, MVA, violence ,pneumonia, diarrheal diseases ,diabetes etc in this Country.. Makes you wonder
    Whether we need to restratezise now and conserve our resources for the next pandemic which maybe more severe or devastating to our population

  • What is the testing procedure like at IMR facility in Goroka? Is IMR carrying out DNA or RNA analysis of the SARS 2 virus causing COVID-19? How does the procedure distinguishes the virus causing COVID-19 from the SARS 1 virus and other virus causing symptoms similar to that of COVID-19? Can the IMR scientist publish a report on the actual procedure to clarify doubts on the validity and genuineness of the testing facility and its credibility?

  • I think they should take the sample and send it overseas like Australia/ New Zealand to see if it returns negative or Positive . If it is negative than Check out the facilities at IMR in Goroka or if it is positive than COVID-19 is already here and people need to take extra precaution.

  • Mexy Kakazo, thank you for the informative evidences. If you are one of those scientists working with IMR, well done and continue the great effort. For those who undermine the work of IMR scientists, be mindful of your comments. Let the specialists work on their tasks and they will inform us of any results. For us, let us keep up with the SOE orders and help minimise their workload. Thank you IMR, continue your tasks diligently.

    • Nelson, Thank you very much.
      I appreciate your support for IMR and wish many others who ridicule and question what this organisation does could step back a bit and use some common sense.

      Firstly, the test done at IMR is called the PCR test….and is regarded as the GOLD STANDARD test. That means all other tests for any diseases done are compared against the PCR to see how close that test stands in agreement. There are issues of SENSITIVITY (capability of the test to reveal a TRUE positive and) SPECIFICITY (capability of the test to reveal TRUE negatives) and the PCR test is highly SENSITIVE and highly SPECIFIC .

      There are other tests used such as the RDT (rapid diagnostic test) which is quick to use but scores badly with sensitivity and specificity parameters. That is why, when China sent us stacks of RDTs to test for COVID-19 it was recommended against its use and are still somewhere in Pom. So when PNG chose PCR over RDTs, we have made the correct decision for our people and for credibility’s sake….
      The PCR testing parameters are set by WHO and sent to every testing facility around the globe during this Covid-19 crisis and are complying with it…those at IMR are doing exactly what Australians, Italians, Americans etc are doing as far as COVID_19 tests go. So, for those who suggest for tests to be done overseas (Australia, NZ etc), can rest easy that what every respectable laboratories around the world is doing, is exactly whats being done here in PNG.
      Yumi lusim pinis pasin blong sutim kawar or sekim glassman na stap wantaim world standards at
      IMR so stap isi, fingers crossed!!
      …somebody suggests if we are doing tests for SARs etc….and I ask where does that come from? We are hit by COVID-19 and it is for COVID-19 we are testing, NOT SARS.

      Thank you Nelson, trust IMR that it will serve its purpose regardless of ridicules. WE are for US!

  • The COVID19 is not killing anybody here so please just uplift the lock down and restore normalcy here in our beautiful country. Its the radiation of the 5G that is warming up the body temperature and burning the people. The world leaders are aware but they love 5G because its the 21st century technology.

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