Malia Su-emalo Lui (left cubicle) and Seumanu Va'a Robertson (right) receive information about Covid-19 vaccination before receiving the jab at a public vaccination event arranged by the Catholic Church in Wellington, 9 June 2021. Photo: Johnny Blades / RNZ Pacific
Samoa's Ministry of Health concerned at people obstructing Covid-19 vaccination.
Samoa's Ministry of Health is concerned at the antics of some people trying to avoid getting the Covid-19 vaccine.
The Ministry's Chief Executive Leausa Dr Take Naseri said there have been reports of people giving false information to get out of being vaccinated.
Leausa said some people were telling staff they had been vaccinated but when asked for their vaccine cards, they didn't have them.
The spread of misinformation about vaccines on social media is causing delays to the progress of the current Covid-19 vaccine roll out according to health officials.
Earlier this week the National Emergency Operations Committee announced that more than 50 percent of the eligible population have received their first dose and 22 percent have been fully vaccinated.
NZ mass vaccination event fails to draw many Māori or Pasifika
Health groups are concerned a mass vaccination event in South Auckland isn't targetting the main priority groups.
Data shows just under a fifth of those who attended the event in Manukau a week ago were Māori or Pasifika.
The data, from the Northern Regional Health Coordination Centre, shows only 13-hundred of the 15-and-a-half thousand people given a covid 19 vaccination were Pasifika. Only 1061 were Māori.
The coordination centre says the event was still an overwhelming success, and it wasn't designed to target any specific groups.
But the data reflects a nationwide trend where vaccine numbers for Māori and Pacific are lagging well behind others.
The coordination centre says it's working with Māori and Pacific groups - including marae and church leaders - to boost those numbers.
Absence of Pacific voice on NZ's assisted dying service
There's major concern about the exclusion of a Pacific practitioner's voice on a statutory body overseeing New Zealand's assisted dying service.
The Support and Consultation for End of Life in New Zealand group has eleven members appointed by the Director-General of Health for two years.
Made up of mostly Pakeha, one Chinese member and two Māori - not one Pacific pracitictioner is included.
Co-Head of School of Māori and Pacific Studies at Auckland University, Dr Jemaima Tiatia-Seath says it's wrong, and that the decision will hurt generations to come.
A Ministry of Health spokesperson says they recognise the lack of Pacific representation and new members can join any time.
They say they will seek a Pacific candidate within the year.
US to donate 300-thousand vaccines doses to PNG
The US ambassador to Papua New Guinea says her country will donate 300-thousand Covid-19 vaccines to PNG.
Erin McKee said the doses are the single shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and will come via the COVAX facility.
She said the shipment will be part of an 80-million dose package being offered globally by the US.
The donation comes after the US in May responded to the PNG government's request for critical medical assistance to confront the country's evolving Covid outbreak.
Tonga looks to fill electrician shortage
Tonga is calling for more licensed electricians to fill a shortage, particularly in the outer islands.
There are currently only 28 electrical contractors registered with Tonga Electricity Commission to service Tonga Power Limited's 25,000 customers on Tongatapu.
Meanwhile, there's only one registered electrical contractor in Vava'u for around 3,700 customers and in Ha'apai there are no registered electrical contractors.
Deputy Chair of the Tonga Electricity Commission, Ma'u Havea said electrical hazards happened often, and that lives and properties were sometimes regrettably lost due to electrical maintenance work conducted by people without a licence.
Havea said some people without a licence had been conducting work that does not comply with the Commission's guidelines and processes.
He said having more licensed electricians in Tonga will also contribute to recovery works.
The Pacific Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency supported the Commission's stance and said electrical contractors play a key role in Tonga's recovery from natural disasters and for safeguarding the country from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Date still pending for Samoa by-elections
No date has been set for by-elections in Samoa as a result of election petitions cases from the April 9 General elections.
Our correspondent says there five by-elections, four in Upolu and one in Savai'i. There are just three election petition cases awaiting decisions.
Pending the results of the by elections, the 51 parliamentary seats stand at 26 for FAST and 20 for the HRPP.
The new Speaker of Parliament, Papalii Li'o Ta'eu Masipa'u says he has not received any formal notification of the results of the 28 electoral petitions from April general election.
He says once he receives the notification he will issue the warrants for the by-elections and the process will start.