Tag: Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea Could Be Next Target for Beijing Security Pact: Australian PM

The Australian prime minister has hinted that neighbouring Pacific nation Papua New Guinea has faced similar “pressure” from Beijing to agree to a security agreement like the Solomon Islands. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been busy defending Australia’s engagement with the South Pacific after the Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed on April 19 that it had…


Papua New Guinean PM Tests Positive to COVID-19 During Trip to Winter Olympic Opening Ceremony

Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape has tested positive for COVID-19 upon arriving in Beijing on Feb. 3 for the opening of the Winter Olympic Games. His office revealed on Feb. 6, that the prime minister will not travel to France the following week for the Indo-Pacific summit, where he was slated to meet…


Australian Govt Announces Animal Health Initiative to Prevent Future Pandemics

The Australian government will invest $8.4 million over the next four years into preventing, detecting, and mitigating the impacts of emerging animal diseases, including those with potential to become a pandemic. Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud on Monday announced the significant new initiative aimed at supporting the country’s wildlife health and early warning capabilities. Currently,…


Anti-COVID-19 Vaccine Protests Erupt in Papua New Guinea

Authorities in Papua New Guinea (PNG) have banned people from protesting against COVID-19 vaccinations after organisers scheduled a peaceful march around Port Moresby on Tuesday. Pandemic Controller and Commissioner of Police David Manning warned the protest organisers that any gathering of more than 20 people was illegal and peaceful protests were no exception, Post Courier reported. “This…


Mass Burials Authorised Amid Papua New Guinea COVID-19 Surge

Papua New Guinea (PNG) authorities have commenced the mass burial of 200 COVID-19 victims to relieve pressure on the Port Moresby General Hospital mortuary after the COVID-19 outbreak in the country worsened. The mortuary was designed to hold 60 bodies around 30 years ago. However, local PNG media The National reported that National Capital District (NCD)…


Australia to Roll out Population-Wide Booster Shots Program

The Australian government is planning to launch a population-wide COVID-19 vaccination booster program by 2022, pending approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), the country’s medicine and therapeutics regulator. The news of the plan comes as Australia reached the 70 percent vaccination milestone on Wednesday, which will move the nation closer to “phase B” of…


Nine Pacific Nations to ‘Deepen Exchanges’ With Beijing

Leaders from nine Pacific Island nations have vowed to deepen their relationship with Beijing, fight the pandemic, and continue collaborating on major infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The pledge comes amid an ongoing tug-of-war between Beijing and democratic allies in the South Pacific region. In late May, top Chinese Communist Party…


8 New Local CCP Virus Cases Detected in Brisbane

The Queensland government has reported eight new locally-acquired CCP virus cases in the state overnight, with six being the close contacts of confirmed cases and a further two acquired overseas cases. There are two cases under investigation but Premier Annastacia Palszczuk said health authorities believed the cases to be linked to known cases. A further two…


8,000 Aussie Vaccine Doses Arrive in Papua New Guinea Amid Outbreak

As Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) health system struggles to cope with an influx of CCP virus patients, Australia’s Labor opposition has questioned whether the Morrison government is doing enough to help. PNG has so far recorded 3,359 cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus….


Papua New Guinea CCP Virus Outbreak Grows

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is seeing one of its worst outbreaks of the CCP virus after cases of COVID-19 exploded, forcing the island to call for aid from Australia. The Controller of the PNG COVID-19 National Pandemic Response and Police Commissioner David Manning said on March 21 that PNG had seen the number of cases…