PNG confirms first case of COVID-19

Papua New Guinea (PNG)'s Prime Minister James Marape told reporters on Friday that the first case of COVID-19 had been confirmed in PNG.

Speaking from a press conference at an airport in the capital of Port Moresby, Marape said the "person of interest' was from Spain and were working for a mining company. He was one of 19 people coming to PNG who had been tested, Marape said.

PNG Institute of Medical Research said in a statement that this case was an imported one and there were no evidence of community transmission in PNG at present.

According to local media, the patient was a 45-year-old Australian male and showed positive in three COVID-19 tests he received.

Luo Dapeng, the World Health Organization (WHO) representative in PNG also confirmed this case to Xinhua on Friday.