Pacific

Covid-19 in the Pacific for April 4

13:17 pm on 4 April 2022

Samoa

The Ministry of Health has confirmed Samoa's second Covid-19 related death.

An 87 year-old woman from Savaii died on Sunday after being admitted to hospital on March 31.

She had severe respiratory symptoms and was diagnosed with Covid-19 and severe pneumonia.

Samoa has recorded a total of 2,279 cases of Covid-19 in the community with 1,517 active cases - including 139 children under 5 with Covid-19.

No cases have been reported on Manono and Apolima.

American Samoa

American Samoa has confirmed three more Covid-19 related deaths, taking the death toll to seven.

217 new cases reported on Friday with three new hospitalizations.

American Samoa has recorded a total of 4,596 cases. The first community case was detected on February 21.

New Caledonia

New Caledonia has recorded another 12 Covid-19 cases with number now about 50 times lower than a month ago.

The latest figure - issued on Friday - brings the total number of cases since September to 60,294.

The number of hospitalised Covid-19 patients is 10, which includes one person in intensive care.

The pandemic has claimed 311 lives - all of them after the Delta variant entered the community in September.

French Polynesia

Another 68 Covid-19 cases have been recorded in French Polynesia in the last 48-hour reporting period as the pandemic keeps easing.

The number of active cases has almost halved over the past week and is now 309.

The health authorities say seven patients are in hospital, but none in intensive care.

The death toll of the pandemic is above 640, with most fatalities registered during last year's outbreak with the Delta variant.

Vaccinations have continued and almost 81 percent of those 12 years and older have had two jabs.

Cook Islands

The Cook Islands has lifted some of its Covid-19 restrictions.

There is an increase in the number of people who can gather at outdoor events from 50 to 100.

The maximum limit for indoor spaces will continue to be 50 people.

Contact sport has resumed with the requirement of players to return a negative RAT result on the day of play.

Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon

Prime Minister Mark Brown said some sports codes are delaying the resumption of competition until after the Covid-19 outbreak in the Cook Islands has peaked.

He said there has been some push back on the charging of RAT tests for players and and this is being reviewed for a better solution.

The Cook Islands has recorded 2118 positive cases of Covid-19, with 722 active cases and 1396 recovered.

Tonga

All schools and government departments in the Ha'apai Island Group have been ordered to close until further notice.

Prime Minister Honourable Hu'akavameiliku made the announcement on Sunday night following confirmation of community cases of Covid-19 on Ha'apai.

Hu'akavameiliku - who is also Minister of Education and Training - said closing schools and government offices will allow the Health Ministry to do contact tracing, surveillance as well as delivering Covid vaccine booster shots.

Ha'apai had recorded positive cases within managed isolation but this could be the first discovery of community cases on Ha'apai.

Meanwhile, a 72 year-old New Zealand man has died from Covid-19 in Tonga.

Neil Jenkin was a retired expat and former president of the Rotary Club of Nuku'alofa.

The rotary club announced his death on social media.

There have been six Covid-related deaths in the Kingdom and 6,144 cases since February 1.