Papua New Guinea will shut schools, limit non-essential movement and make mask-wearing mandatory in a bid to stop a dangerous surge in Covid-19 cases, the country's pandemic controller told AFP on Thursday. "All the schools in the country will shut down at the end of this week following a sharp increase in Covid-19 cases in the country," Pandemic Controller David Manning said. The government is expected to announce the measures to the public later on Thursday. Papua New Guinea has reported more than 1,000 cases this month -- more than the total for the year before. Experts fear the real total could be much higher, as testing levels remain low. The surge threatens to overwhelm the country's already strained health sector. Several doctors told AFP on Thursday that facilities had been forced to close or reduce capacity because staff had tested positive for the virus. str-arb/dm/jah