Papua New Guinea's prime minister says people who came in to close contact with the country's only confirmed case of Covid-19 have returned negative tests for the virus.
James Marape gave an update on the country's response to the pandemic, after his government this week declared a 14-day state of emergency with restrictions on movement and public gatherings.
PNG Prime Minister James Marape addresses a business discussion in Port Moresby, January 2020. Photo: PNG PM Media Unit
Under the watch of the Covid-19 National Operation Centre, people who entered PNG in recent weeks were being kept under surveillance.
Mr Marape said as of Thursday there had been 6255 people "of interest" identified, around a third of whom had completed their 14 days of quarantine.
"We've tested 72 of them. Of the 72 tested, including the 15 persons who have come in contact with the person who tested positive, of that fifteen who were tested, all of them (results) came out negative for us, and we can only thank God."
PNG's only confirmed case of Covid-19 in the country to date was a 45-year old mine worker who had returned to Morobe province after travelling from Europe.
He had since been transferred home to Australia.
