Yachts and tall ships on anchor in Vila bay - Port Vila, Efate island, Vanuatu. Photo: lkonya/123RF
Vanuatu Public Service relaxes compulsory vaccination requirement
Vanuatu's Public Service Commission has relaxed the reported compulsory requirement for all public servants to be vaccinated against covid-19 in order to enter their workplace.
Prime Minister Bob Loughman has confirmed that there is no indication of community transmission as a result of the 18 passengers who arrived in Port Vila from New Caledonia.
Following this the Acting Secretary General of the Public Service Commission, Jane Bani says the requirement has been lifted.
Nine more Covid cases in Marianas
The Northern Marianas has recorded nine more positive cases of Covid-19, bringing the islands' total to 339 since March 2020.
The local health authority said they were identified and confirmed through surveillance testing and travel screening this week.
They have been isolated and are actively monitored.
Since October 28th, there have been 48 new cases, of which 38 were identified via contact tracing, eight were identified via community testing, and two were identified via travel testing.
A communicable disease epidemiologist, Stephanie Kern-Allely, meanwhile, said there was no indication that Marianas had an accelerated Covid-19 transmission.
She said it was possible the rate of spread had slowed down due to the CNMI's high vaccination numbers.
Vaccine may have helped Tongan case combat virus, says microbiologist
A New Zealand microbiologist has explained why it's possible for Covid-19 tests to become negative after a positive result.
The second covid-19 tests of a person who flew from Christchurch to Tonga and a man from Tuvalu who arrived in Auckland have resulted as negative.
Microbiologist, Siouxsie Wiles said they were either false positive tests - which is essentially an error - or it could be that a small amount of the infection was left over in their body.
"Picking up little bits of viral RnA but that person doen'ts have it anymore. We have seen overseas people can test positive for months afterwards. it all just depends whether a small amount of circulating debris was picked up the time the test was done."
Wiles said false positive tests were pretty low, but it was more likely the vaccine may have helped the Tonga case combat the virus.
Climate change denial spreading unchecked on Facebook
Two studies by disinformation researchers has revealed that climate change denial is spreading unchecked on Facebook.
The Center for Countering Digital Hate and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue say less than 10 percent of misleading posts were marked as misinformation.
According to the BBC, they linked the majority of these to just 10 publishers.
Facebook says this represents only a small proportion of climate change content.
Many of the shared articles also pushed the unsubstantiated belief that "climate lockdowns" will be enforced on populations, which has been dismissed by scientists.
PNG government accused of misinterpreting Bougainville agreement
The Bougainville Parliament has been told the Papua New Guinea Government seems to be misinterpreting the Bougainville Peace Agreement.
Bougainville's President Ishmael Toroama said he had to speak out after recent comments by the PNG Prime Minister, James Marape, and Governor General, Sir Bob Dadae.
Marape has said independence for Bougainville was the greatest single threat PNG faced, telling parliament that the question of independence for Bougainville couldn't be pre-determined, but that consultations will take their course and MPs will decide.
The governor general said PNG could disintegrate if Bougainville became independent.
But Toroama said the Peace Agreement was signed to address the political aspirations of Bougainvilleans, culminating in 2019's referendum in which more than 97 percent of people voted for Bougainville to be independent.
He said that following the consultation process on the referendum, the ratification of Bougainville's decision by the PNG parliament should be the final step.
Vanuatu parliament debates cannabis bill
Vanuatu's parliament is this week debating the Industrial Hemp and Medical Cannabis Bill.
The Daily Post reports that even though the bill has yet to be discussed, preparatory work has already begun by a foreign company on the island of Tanna, backed by the island's Nikoletan Council of Chiefs.
Cannabis grows wild on the fertile volcanic island, as well as on the other 82 islands.
Birds feed on the seeds and the plant naturally grows via bird droppings.
Samoa Airways seeks funds for airworthiness of plane
Samoa's Minister for Private Enterprises says the national carrier is seeking funding for tests required to check the airworthiness of a leased B737-800 currently in Brisbane, Australia.
Leatinuu Wayne Sooialo says Samoa Airways is asking the Unit Trust of Samoa for $6million tālā (US$2.3million) to continue the checks so the plane can be allowed to operate commercially.
Leatinu'u was reacting to claims by the former Minister for Private Enterprises, Lautafi Fio Purcell, that the airline could be making money by utilising the plane to operate the many repatriation flights being operated by QANTAS, Air New Zealand and Fiji Airways.
According to TV1Samoa, Leatinu'u said there is a need to ensure the plane is safe to operate which is why the technical tests need to be conducted thoroughly.
He urged people to be patient as they go through the process of getting the clearances required.