An internal emergency has been declared in one of Queensland's major hospitals as staff struggle to deal with an influx of Covid-19 patients from Papua New Guinea.
The island country is facing a second wave of infection and there are concerns its health system won't be able to cope.
It comes as coronavirus cases in PNG have almost doubled in the past five weeks.
“In the first five days of March we saw as many cases as the entire month of February,” says Matt Cannon of St John Ambulance in PNG.
It’s putting immense pressure on Port Moresby’s biggest hospital, with both patients and staff testing positive for the virus.
Across PNG health workers are being forced into self-isolation. If the infection rate continues, there are warnings there won’t be enough staff to run the hospital.
Cairns Hospital is also under pressure, declaring a Code Yellow, or Internal Emergency after the arrival of six travellers from PNG who tested positive for Covid-19.
Vaccinations are expected to start in the Torres Strait this week.
Yesterday, PNG’s Government signed off on the regulatory approvals needed to bring vaccines into the country, with the rollout hoped to start next month.
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