Torres Strait fear as PNG cases surge

Covid cases are surging in PNG, forcing Australian diplomats to isolate and posing cross-border infection risks in the Torres Strait.

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape. Picture: Gary Ramage

COVID-19 cases are surging in Papua New Guinea, forcing Australian diplomats into isolation and posing cross-border infection risks in the Torres Strait.

At least one Australian aid program officer tested positive in the past week, while Australian high commissioner Jon Philp recently returned a negative test amid fears he was exposed to the virus on a provincial trip with PNG Prime Minister James Marape.

The country’s latest testing update on Monday revealed 49 new cases across PNG, including 31 in Bougainville, taking the total number of positive tests to 1365, with 14 deaths.

The spike in cases came as a week-long public mourning event for Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare got under way in Port Moresby, prompting fears it could become a superspreader event.

The growing COVID risk in PNG is intensifying pressure on the Department of Foreign ­Affairs and Trade to get overseas staff vaccinated in the first wave of jabs to be delivered by the Australian government.

PNG’s positive test rate stands at 2.8 per cent after just over 49,000 tests — higher than in the UK but well below the rate in Indo­nesia, where 18 per cent of tests yield a positive result. The rate of positive tests in Port ­Mores­by is about 7.7 per cent.

Officials fear vast numbers of people suffering COVID cases are going untested and untreated, particularly in West Sepik and Western Provinces bordering ­Indonesia.

Liberal MP Warren Entsch, whose seat of Leichhardt includes Torres Strait Islands, said he was on alert for any signs of COVID outbreaks in villages across the border.

“I am in regular contact with community leaders in PNG’s Western Province, given they are my neighbours,” Mr Entsch said. “I have had reports of people ­coming through from West Papua to (provincial capital) Daru, where there have been some reports that they have had COVID, but I have yet to get any reports of COVID in the (Torres Strait) villages.”

Mr Entsch said Australia needed to prioritise the villages closest to Australia in its regional COVID vaccine rollout.

“Their medical capacity just could not handle it,” he said.

PNG’s Department of Health secretary Orborne Liko said the country’s ability to get on top of the pandemic was under threat from a lack of resources, and politicians skirting the rules.

Dr Liko said about 40 temporary staff performing “critical ­functions” at the country’s ­national COVID control centre had not been paid since starting work there five months ago.

“Critical functions are at risk of collapsing if the staff are not paid immediately,” Dr Liko said.