SYDNEY, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- An outbreak of COVID-19 in Papua New Guinea (PNG) continued to spread, with the country's Western Province recording 18 new cases on Tuesday, all of which were associated with the Ok Tedi gold mine.
The country's total number of infections stood at 419, with four deaths linked to the virus and 140 cases associated with the gold mine cluster.
National Pandemic Response Controller David Manning said he was pleased with the measures taken by the mine to stop the spread of the virus, including shutting down its operations for the past two weeks and initiating a lockdown of the nearby township.
With gold being one of PNG's primary exports, the government acknowledged that the closure of Ok Tedi was having a significant impact on the economy, adding that plans were in place for the mine to reopen on Sept. 14.
Meanwhile, PNG's capital District of Port Moresby and surrounding area remained at the center of the country's outbreak, with a total of 257 confirmed infections.
Earlier in the week, Manning said there were still 1,552 test samples at local laboratories waiting to be tested for COVID-19 and results to be made known.
Officials continued to encourage the public to adapt to the new normal -- or Niupela Pasin in the local language -- amid the virus.
"Today is day 69 of the Niupela Pasin -- a new way of living -- that makes basic hygiene and safe distancing a part of PNG's new culture," Manning said.
"It means learning or living a new life where you consciously take actions and adopt behaviors that are in place to reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19 or other infectious diseases." Enditem
