The Papua New Guinea government says it's distributing Covid-19 vaccine to the wider Highlands region, ahead of a nationwide rollout next week.
The country has been facing a surge of cases that has brought its health system to the brink.
PNG has now officially passed 100 deaths from Covid-19, with 10-thousand confirmed cases - though with low testing rates, the real figure is believed to be much higher.
The Controller of the PNG National Pandemic Response, David Manning, receives a shot of the Covid-19 vaccine produced by Astrazeneca. Photo: PNG PM Media
The health department says supplies of the AstraZeneca vaccine brought in by the Covax programme, were deployed at the weekend.
While not specifying just how many vaccines were delivered, it says supplies were sent to the Southern Highlands, Enga, Western and Milne Bay provinces.
The department says a nationwide rollout with begin on the 5th of May, starting with frontline workers.
Meanwhile the Governor of the National Capital District, Powers Parkop, has warned people about the dangers of meeting in numbers.
The pandemic rules are that gatherings of more than 50 are illegal.
Parkop said he has taken the lead in stopping people gathering in numbers, by closing markets and discouraging people from going to church services.
More than 4,000 cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in Port Moresby.
