French ambassador in Vanuatu summoned over apparent Covid-19 breach; Solomon Islanders in NZ to renew passports; Another Covid-19 case in the CNMI; and more
Vanuatu's main international airport Bauerfield at Port Vila Photo: RNZI/Beverley Tse
French ambassador in Vanuatu summoned
Vanuatu's director general of Foreign Affairs, Kalfau Kaloris, has summoned the French ambassador, Pierre Fournier, over an apparent breach of the country's Covid-19 state of emergency.
On Friday 30th April a French military plane made two attempts to land at Bauerfield International Airport despite not having clearance to do so.
The chief executive of the Civil Aviation Authority, Jackie Langani, said the aircraft couldn't land at Bauerfield because the authorities hadn't been informed about its mission.
She said the aircraft, which was on a training flight from New Caledonia, breached the state of emergency imposed to control Covid.
Kaloris said the matter is now being dealt with at a diplomatic level.
Over 100 Solomon Islanders to renew passports in Wellington
Over 100 hundred Solomon Islanders in New Zealand have registered for the temporary passport renewal service opening in Wellington today.
Hosted at the Solomon Islands High Commission the service, which is being offered for the first time, will run for two months.
Acting high commissioner John Kemakeza says normally Solomon Islanders have to return home to renew their passports but due to border closures and travel restrictions caused by the pandemic many have been unable to do so.
Anyone seeking more information about the service can find it on their website sihc.org.nz.
CNMI records 169th Covid-19 case
The number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the Northern Marianas rose to 169 after a person was confirmed positive for the coronavirus from passenger arrival testing.
The Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation (CHCC) said the individual was identified by travel screening and confirmed diagnosis through testing upon arrival last Thursday, 6 May.
The individual has been moved to the designated isolation area for close monitoring.
The CHCC Communicable Disease Investigation/Inspection team has initiated contact tracing for contacts with the highest risk of exposure.
Out of the 169 total cases, CHCC said 133 were identified by travel screening while 36 were local transmissions-11 from community based tracing and 16 from contact tracing.
Wage rise for American Samoa teachers
American Samoan teachers are to get significant wage rises.
The rises for public school teachers go from 25 percent for those with the least qualifications to more than 30 percent for those with graduate degrees.
Under the new pay scheme entry level teachers with an AA degree will earn $US20,000
Those with a Masters $US41,000 and if a teacher has a Phd they will be paid $US50,000 when they start in the classroom.