Palau investigating potential Covid-19 community cases.
Health authorities in Palau are urging the public to remain calm as they investigate two potential cases of Covid-19 in the community.
US Health officials administer the Johnson & Johson vaccine in Kayangel State Photo: Task Force Oceania Public Affairs - SGT Navarro/ US Embassy
The health ministry in Palau has confirmed that two travellers who had tested negative three days before travelling to Palau have now tested positive on their day 5 tests and are undergoing more tests.
There is no quarantine period for travellers to Palau as most of the eligible population have been vaccinated against Covid-19. It has not been confirmed where the visitors to Palau have travelled from.
The Palau government is urging people to stay at home if possible and to maintain social distancing and wear masks when out in public, but it is not a lockdown.
Our correspondent in Palau says the directive to wear masks is a first for Palau, most parents have not sent their children to school today.
Samoa govt suspends attorney general and clerk of the legislative assembly.
Samoa's Government has suspended the Attorney General, Savalenoa Mareva Betham Annandale, and the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, Tiatia Graeme Tualaulelei.
The pair were stood down for two weeks after the government concluded it didn't have trust or confidence in them.
Both had defied the directions of the Supreme Court to re-open parliament on the 24th May and the FAST MPs swore themselves in on the grounds of parliament.
The Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mata'afa said for her MPs to properly transition into government they needed the public service to operate in an efficient, professional, effective and apolitical manner.
The Tongan Government has announced plans for a national university.
Kaniva Pacific reports the news has been hailed as a solution to the financial, social and mental stresses Tonga's international students have faced.
It's expected to bring together a number of tertiary agencies already operating in Tonga and it will offer academic, technical and vocational programmes and qualifications from certificate to post-doctorate level.
The concept has been under consideration for some years, led by former education ministers - the late Dr Hu'akavameiliku and Dr 'Ana Taufe'ulungaki.
It comes as an acrimonious fight continues at the Pacific's regional university, the University of the South Pacific.
The USP's Council and the Fiji Government are at loggerheads over the re-appointment of Professor Pal Ahluwalia as vice chancellor.
Fiji has announced it will no longer make its grant payment to the USP which is expected to have a major impact on the running of the institution.
Thousands of Pasifika testing for Covid-19 in Auckland
Since the outbreak of the delta variant in Auckland last week, thousands of Pasfika people are now getting tested for Covid-19.
The number of positive cases and close contacts within Pacific communities is increasing, and this past Saturday 15-thousand Pacific peoples were tested for Covid-19 in Auckland.
Tevita Funaki from Fono - a Pacific health and social service provider in Auckland - said wait times to get a test are between two and five hours.
"We see more Pacific now that are turning up to get tested. There is definitely quite an increased number of Pacific close contacts. Including some of the schools," Tevita Funaki said.
He said health workers were stretched but he was encouraging people to keep up the high testing rates and to also get vaccinated.
Photo: RNZ / Jean Bell
Families at Covid-19 affected Auckland schools facing hardship
Families at two of the Auckland schools where students have tested positive for Covid-19 are reporting hardship.
McAuley High School in Ōtāhuhu and De La Salle College in Māngere both have students who tested positive for Covid-19 last week as New Zealand went into level four lockdown to control the delta variant outbreak.
The Chair of De La Salle College, Dr Falaniko Tominio, said many families at the school are needing food parcels to get by.
"We have a lot of families who have been hard hit by this. Families who were essential workers who now have to isolate for 14 days. Our families are among the poorest. We are most likely to be the most effected out of all peoples," Dr Falaniko Tominio said.
Dr Tominio said the schools have been putting families in touch with organisations to deliver food packs to their homes.
Five day NRL training completed in Tonga
Over 70 rugby league players, coaches and officials in Tonga have participated in a five-day training programme run by the NRL and the Australian Defence Force, to ensure participants are exposed to the game and other opportunities despite Covid-19.
This is the third sports programme the NRL have provided virtually because of the pandemic, with sessions covering coaching, refereeing, nutrition, first aid, CPR and strength and conditioning.
Sessions have also been held in Fiji and Papua New Guinea.
NRL Pacific Program Manager Michael Asensio says an increase in trained coaches will create positive role models and expose Tongans to the game.