Coronavirus: PNG variant of Covid-19 confirmed by Queensland Health

Queensland Health has confirmed the existence of a Papua New Guinea variant of COVID-19.

Humanitarian aid is unloaded at Port Moresby amid PNG’s Covid crisis. Picture: Supplied

Queensland Health has confirmed the existence of a Papua New Guinea variant of COVID-19.

As the rapidly spreading outbreak of the virus this week reached villages a few kilometres from Australia’s northernmost ­islands, testing of COVID-positive arrivals from PNG has shown a new variant.

It is believed the new strain, the most commonly detected in COVID cases from PNG, is less contagious than the super-virulent UK strain that swept across Europe this year.

The new strain was confirmed through genomic testing conducted on people who had already ­arrived in Queensland and were in quarantine.

It comes as PNG reported a record number of daily COVID-19 cases, with 560 new positive tests lifting its total caseload to 4660.

The new cases were detected in just 749 tests, suggesting a 75 per cent positive test rate.

Positive cases are expected to surge in the coming week, following mourning ceremonies for former prime minister Sir Michael Somare earlier this month.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is a rapidly evolving situation and as the pandemic is ongoing, we have continued to see new variants emerge, such as the UK and South African variants,’’ Queensland Health said in a statement.

Currently the variant most commonly detected in travellers from PNG is the B. 1.466.2 lineage, which is not a lineage of concern. On Wednesday three positive COVID cases were confirmed in the South Fly district, part of the Western Province that includes the town of Daru, and the so-called Treaty Villages on the PNG side of the Torres Strait.

PNG opposition leader Belden Namah sought to make political mileage on Thursday from widespread vaccine hesitancy in the country, calling for the rollout of Australian-donated vaccines to be suspended until there was “scientific proof about the benefits and the effects”.

“Unless the Prime Minister James Marape has independent scientific verification that these AstraZeneca vaccines are 100 per cent safe for our citizens, for our people, he cannot risk our citizens,” Mr Namah said. “The numbers of our deaths are not sufficient or significant to press the panic button in our country.”

Australia delivered nearly 8500 vaccines for frontline PNG health workers this week. But Senate estimates heard the shipment fell far short of what was ­required to vaccinate the nation’s 30,000 health and ancillary workers. DFAT secretary Frances ­Adamson said the 8480 vaccines was an initial contribution. She said the figure was decided upon as “a sensible number to start with, and by no means the last word”.

Australian diplomats and their families in Port Moresby have also received their first jabs.