Vanuatu's government is adopting stricter quarantine rules after confirmation of the country's first covid-19 case.
A ni-Vanuatu man who arrived from the US, via Australia and New Zealand, was confirmed with the coronavirus on Tuesday during routine testing.
The Prime Minister Bob Loughman said the Council of Ministers had agreed that the period of quarantine for citizens being repatriated will now double to 28 days.
Vanuatu's Prime Minister Bob Loughman Photo: RNZ Pacific / Hilaire Bule
As well, Loughman announced that domestic travel connections to the main island Efate are being halted.
Furthermore, he said the council also agreed that all ni-Vanuatu citizens and residents wanting to return home from abroad must show negative test results at least 72 hours before departing for Vanuatu.
The man, who was asymptomatic, arrived in Vanuatu on 4 November.
The government said because he had been travelling from a high-risk location he was seated separately during flights and physical distancing was carried out at all times.
The man has been transferred to an isolation facility at the Vila Central Hospital in Vanuatu's capital.
Loughman said that the government through its Covid-19 taskforce is "prepared and ready" to keep the case contained.
Security at Port Vila's airport Photo: RNZ Pacific / Hilaire Bule
He urged the public to co-operate with all front-line government agencies as they carry out their duties.
"There will be no restrictions on flights and ships bringing in cargo to the island of Efate, but the island of Efate will go on lockdown, meaning there will be no domestic travel to the island of Efate," Loughman said.
"Anyone not respecting the new directives will be dealt with."
Meanwhile, health authorities in Vanuatu are undertaking contact tracing for people who came in contact with the positive case.