First covid death in Marshall Islands, election results near in Cook Islands, and Santa says Accord meeting is too soon
Marshalls' first covid-releated death
The Marshall Islands has recorded its first Covid-19 death.
The deceased was a "young man" who was sick for a week before contracting the virus.
Majuro Hospital Photo: Marshall Islands Journal.
The health ministry says the man died on arrival at the Majuro Hospital.
The ministry is appealing to Marshallese people to "treat each other with kindness" as the Pacific nation tries to contain the community outbreak.
Authorities confirmed six cases of community infections on Monday.
Final votes being counted in Cook Islands
The final votes are being counted in the Cook Islands following last week's General Election.
The last ballots are being counted by the Cook Islands Electoral Office at the National Auditorium in Rarotonga.
Chief electoral officer Taggy Tangimetua said all candidates will be granted one week to lodge petitions once counting is finished.
Provisional results show the Cook Islands Party in the lead with 10 seats, while the Cook Islands Democratic Party has six seats, the Cook Islands United Party has four seats and there are three Independent MPs.
One seat - Ngatangiia - is currently tied.
The final results of the election will be announced on Thursday local time along with the results of the referendum on legalising cannabis.
Santa says Noumea Accord meeting is too soon
The leader of New Caledonia's anti-independence Rassemblement Party, Thierry Santa, said the meeting of the signatories to the Noumea Accord proposed by Paris next month is too soon.
The French interior ministry called the meeting, but Santa said an analysis of the decolonisation process with its three referendums won't be ready until December.
He told the broadcaster La Premiere there is no point in going to France to simply acknowledge that the Noumea Accord has come to its conclusion.
Santa said France should send a delegation to do the groundwork for such discussions, noting that within two months two French government ministers announced and then cancelled visits to New Caledonia.
Pro-independence parties refuse to recognise the referendum result as the legitimate outcome of the decolonisation process and have said they won't attend the Paris talks.
Covid scuppers news coverage in Wallis & Futuna
There won't be any televised local news on the public broadcaster in Wallis and Futuna this week because of covid-19.
Too many staff have been affected by the resurgence of the pandemic which since June has caused almost 1800 infections.
The station will instead carry French news.
In Wallis, the outbreak peaked last week, and health authorities expect it to climax in Futuna at the end of the month.
Six people with covid-19 are in hospital.
Most people decided against getting vaccinated.
Further covid death in American Samoa
In American Samoa, there has been another Covid-related death bringing the toll to 34.
LBJ Hospital 's Acting Chief of Staff Abraham Leiato says the latest Covid-related death is a 72 year old man who had underlying health conditions.
The latest Covid report covers August 1st to 7th.
The Department of Health says the total number of Covid cases from the start of community transmission in February is 8,031. There are currently 158 active cases.
The LBJ Hospital reports an increase in influenza cases has increased pressure on the emergency room.