26 February – Papua New Guinea reports a record 89 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1,228.[1]
18 June – Papua New Guinea receives 146,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from New Zealand, facilitated through the COVAX initiative.[6]
15 July – Papua New Guinea reports its first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in a 65-year-old Filipino who is the captain of a cargo ship which departed from Indonesia on June 26 and arrived in the country almost two weeks later.[7]
16 July – Authorities in Papua New Guinea urge people to get vaccinated as the first case of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant was confirmed yesterday in the Filipino captain of a ship which was docked in Port Moresby. Currently less than 1% of Papuans are vaccinated.[8]
23 September – Papua New Guinea announces a four-week lockdown in parts of the country including Eastern Highlands as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to increase, primarily due to the Delta variant. Prime Minister James Marape had anticipated the move before leaving the country to attend the United Nations General Assembly this week in New York City. The country also struggles with its vaccination campaign, as only 2% of the population has been vaccinated.[10]
11 October – A two-week lockdown begins in Eastern Highlands Province as cases overwhelm hospitals and the number of deaths increases nationwide.[12]
13 October – Papuan health minister Jelta Wong says that the pandemic is pushing the health system to its limits and also admits to a slow response by the government, as only 2% of the population have been vaccinated. Peter Numu, the governor of Eastern Highlands Province, says that the situation in his province is "scary"[13]
15 October – The COVID-19 crisis worsens in Papua New Guinea, as the government seeks international help in order to combat the increase in new cases and deaths. The government has admitted to a slow response to the crisis and also blames vaccine hesitancy as part of the problem. The World Health Organization has agreed to help the country.[14]
25 October – Prime MinisterJames Marape pleads for Papua New Guineans to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as the situation, fueled by the Delta variant, worsens, with hospitals in Port Moresby and other cities operating at maximum capacity. Marape states that the death toll currently exceeds 300, but the actual total may be much higher.[15]
13 November – New Zealand sends doctors to Papua New Guinea, after Papua New Guinea formally requested international help to combat the worsening COVID-19 situation in the country.[16]
Deaths
25 February – Michael Somare, 84, Papua New Guinean politician, Prime Minister (1975–1980, 1982–1985, 2002–2010, 2011), pancreatic cancer.[17]
