Australia is on high alert for a worsening coronavirus outbreak in Papua New Guinea, which poses a “clear and current danger” to both countries.
Half of the 500 tests carried out on Monday were positive, as were about 40% of the samples from the Ok Tedi mine.
More than half of Queensland’s active cases are linked to PNG.
The state is rolling out priority vaccinations in the Torres Strait, which is just four kilometers from its northern neighbor.
Australia is on high alert for a worsening coronavirus outbreak in Papua New Guinea, which poses a “clear and current danger” to both countries. Port Moresby General Hospital is pictured in April last year
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Health Minister Greg Hunt said at a joint meeting in Canberra on Tuesday that the situation was a “clear and present danger”.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne told reporters in Canberra that the government has arranged for the deployment of an AUSMAT team.
It will also help reopen PNG health facilities, including testing centers.
“We understand that the system is very strained,” she said.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison left his boardroom early for advice before speaking to his PNG counterpart, James Marape, about developments.
“Let us not lose sight of the serious challenge that still awaits us,” he told his colleagues.
PNG plane is seen at Boram airport on Friday as the country continues to fight a Covid outbreak
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“We also need to focus our attention on our family in the region, up north in the Pacific. “
Pacific Labor Party spokesman Pat Conroy said three million people in PNG live in areas without a doctor.
“A humanitarian crisis is looming on our doorstep,” he told caucus members.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has been in contact with Mr Morrison on the matter.
“The Commonwealth government has been very good in this space,” she said Tuesday.
The mattresses are donated in April 2020 for a multi-purpose hospital facility at the Rita Flynn Netball courts in Port Moresby
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“They often contacted our neighbors in the Pacific Islands when needed. I don’t think they will ignore this situation.
She raised additional support for PNG hospitals and vaccinations for healthcare workers as ways to help the federal government.
There have been just under 2,270 cases in PNG and 26 confirmed deaths according to the World Health Organization.
The islands closest to the Torres Strait are a short walk from the country, and leaders in the region say an outbreak in one of the communities would be devastating.
Torres Strait Island Regional Council Mayor Phillemon Mosby said his area was unlike any other part of Australia.
“We are very far away, very vulnerable,” he said.
“Therefore, special care needs to be taken when we deploy a vaccination like this to combat a global health pandemic. “
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