A first batch of AstraZeneca vaccine doses has arived in Vanuatu, 19 May 2021. Photo: Hilaire Bule
Thousands of ni-Vanuatu register for vaccine
Following the arrival of a first batch of Covid-19 vaccines in Vanuatu on Wednesday night, more than 2,000 people registered yesterday to get the jab.
The 24,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were sent from Italy through the COVAX facility.
Registration got underway at Vanuatu's National Convention Centre in Port Vila yesterday.
At the same time, at the National Constitution Centre, the department of health was conducting an awareness session on what is AstraZeneca, why Vanuatu needs it and the government's vaccination plan.
According to the governbment, vaccination rollout will start at the beginning of June on the country's main island of Efate.
Tonga's borders expected to stay closed until March
Tonga's Health Minister expects the country's borders will stay closed until March 2022.
The minister, 'Amelia Tu'ipulotu, floated a March reopening next year as the best decision for the safety of the Kingdom.
But repatriation and cargo flights will continue to arrive under special permits.
It comes after this week's news that a woman died in Aotearoa following her Covid-19 vaccination, in which the Health Ministry denies any direct links.
Kaniva Tonga reported the death of a 93-year-old woman after being enoculated, although it's since been linked with her pre-existing heart condition.
Tonga's Covid vaccination rollout started last month on the main island, Tongatapu, and yesterday moved to 'Eua.
So far, 22,363 Tongans have been vaccinated.
Papua's acting provincial governor dies
Reports from Indonesia's Papua region indicate that the acting governor of Papua privince, Klemen Tinal, has died.
Tinal, who recently had heart surgery, died at Abdi Waluyo Menteng Hospital, Jakarta, in the early hours of this morning.
He had stepped into the acting Governor role after the incumbent, Lukas Enembe, recently travelled to Singapore for medical treatment.
Earlier, Tinal served as regent in Mimika regency before moving to the executive position in the province.
Pandemic partly blamed for Niue internet cable launch delay
Telecome Niue's chief executive says delays in launching ultra-high-speed internet were due largely to Covid-19 slowing their ability to test before launch.
Niue's new undersea fibre connection went live this week, but the telco has been criticised for the year it's taken the Manatua Cable to become operational.
Brett Collier said it was spent ensuring the large-data capability the cable promised was reliable.
"The pandemic has slowed everything down, nothing is moving in a hurry. A lot of the technology and tests, we needed specialised people to do it or we had to find alternative ways of doing that testing.
"So again, covid has affected us and what resources we have available. So we took out time, did it right and that's why it's connected, almost a year later but it's perfect."
Tonga and Tuvalu sign grant agreements with ADB
The Asian Development Bank - or ADB - and the governments of Tonga and Tuvalu have signed separate grant agreements to support the rollout of safe and effective vaccines against Covid-19.
A US5.5 million dollar grant agreement was signed with Tonga and a US$1.5 million dollar grant agreed for Tuvalu.
The Bank says the grants will help fund implementation of the national Covid-19 vaccine deployment plans in the two countries.
ADB is working with the governments of Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu on the preparation of vaccine roll out plans to ensure fair and equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccines and promote more rapid recovery from the pandemic.
CNMI records 2 more Covid-19 cases
The Northern Marianas saw its Covid-19 cases jump to 176 after two more travellers tested positive.
Both individuals were identified by travel screening and confirmed diagnosis through fifth-day testing this week. Neither had been vaccinated.
The Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation said both individuals had been moved to an isolation area at the Kanoa Resort Alternate Care Site for close monitoring.
The Corporation's investigation and inspection team has already initiated contact tracing for the most immediate contacts of the new confirmed case, including passengers on the same flight.
The Islands has fully vaccinated 21,648 people, which is 52 percent of the eligible population.
More than 140 refugees in Australia's offshore processing system to be resettled in Canada
Almost 150 refugees held within Australia's offshore processing system in Papua New Guinea and Nauru are in the last stages of approval for resettlement in Canada.
The refugees had been sent to Australian-run offshore detention centres in the two Pacific countries more than half a decade ago after arriving in Australia by boat.
The non-profit migrant and refugee settlement service Mosaic, based in Vancouver, confirmed the resettlement arrangements to the Guardian.