Today in Pacific news in brief, Samoa's government is considering tougher penalties for drug traffickers, PNG covid-19 cases close in on 900, and more:
Samoa government building, Apia. Photo: RNZ / Johnny Blades
Samoa govt considering tougher penalties for drug traffickers
Samoa's government says it's considering increasing criminal penalties for drug trafficking following a recent spate of intercepted drugs at the border.
Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said on TV3 Samoa that there was a need to reconsider penalties of drug convictions.
His remarks follow a seizure last week at the wharf where Police confiscated 900 grams of methamphetamine.
A December bust found some 500 grams of the same drug, which the Ministry of Customs and Revenue said was a record haul for law enforcement.
"This is not a new issue and under the current law, it says that a fine (of) up to $100,000 (can be imposed). The key word is 'up to' meaning there can be no fine," Tuilaepa said.
The Prime Minister said there's a need to toughen the penalties in order to align Samoan legislation with that of other countries around the world.
Last week, a member of parliament, Fa'aulusau Rosa Duffy-Stowers, called for tougher prison sentences, even as much as life sentences, for those found guilty of drug offences.
Vaccine rollout rolls on in CNMI
The CNMI has inoculated more than 10 percent of the population after recently receiving 11,000 more covid-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna.
Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan said the Commonwealth was set to receive another 7,800 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine this month.
It's expected this will bring the islands' total doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to 21,450.
Mr Sablan said the CNMI would also receive 3,200 doses of the Moderna vaccine in the February allocation, 33 percent more than January's allocation, for a total of 8,200 doses.
Each individual needs is required ti take two doses of either Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, 21 days apart, for maximum effectiveness.
Commonwealth Healthcare Corp has disclosed that it is finalising plans for Rota and Tinian residents to get more Moderna vaccines, which are easier to transports as they don't require ultra-freezers.
PNG covid case numbers edge towards 900
The number of Papua New Guinea's confirmed cases of Covid-19 is edging towards 900.
On Saturday authorities confirmed a 895th case in the Central province, a 37-year old male who is an employee of a mining company.
He was not showing symptoms of COVID-19 at the time of testing but swab samples returned positive as part of the routine travel screening for work.
Additionally, over the course of the weekend, PNG's Hunters rugby leage team announced that one of the members of their travelling party had tested positive for Covid-19
It means that their scheduled departuire to Australia yesterday has been delayed again.
Thirty-four players and management staff had been isolating together in a quarantine bubble since Thursday afternoon after receiving approval to travel by Queensland Health Authorities.
There have been nine Covid-19 deaths reported in PNG so far.
Magnitude 6.3 quake off PNG's north coast
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck off the north coast of Papua New Guinea's mainland on Sunday evening local time.
The US Geological Survey reports that the quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometres, about 185 kilometres north of Madang.
There were no immediate reports of significant damage.
The US Geological Survey reports that a magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck at a depth of 10-kilometres, off PNG's north coast, on Sunday evening PNG Time. Photo: USGS