Samoa's pandemic response gets a boost, China is to fund sporting facilities for the 2023 Pacific Games, over half of American Samoa has a Covid-19 jab, Vanuatu High Commission buys food for scholarship students and more.
Samoa Health Director Leausa Dr Take Naseri, left, and Agafili Tomaimano Shem Leo, chair of the National Emergency Operation Centre. Photo: Samoa govt
Samoa's pandemic response gets a boost
Samoa's capacity to address the Covid-19 pandemic has been boosted with a $US140,000 Emergency Aid Grant from Japan.
Japan said its support would strengthen Samoa's vaccine cold chain.
Japanese ambassador to Samoa, Genichi Terasawa, said Tokyo was committed to assisting Apia's preparatory and response efforts to the pandemic.
Terasawa said with UNICEF Pacific's support on the ground, Japan could also provide transportation to ensure the vaccination rollout gets underway smoothly in Samoa.
China major financial backer of 2023 Pacific Games
China is to fund the majority of sporting facilities for the 2023 Pacific Games in Solomon Islands.
The announcement has been made by the Head of the Chinese Embassy Taskforce, Yao Ming.
Yao said Beijing had confirmed the funding so the next move would see a signing of a letter of exchange with the Solomon Islands government.
China has sent two working teams from the Beijing Architect Institute to do geo-tech surveys and Yao said in two months' time they would finish the preliminary survey work.
He added that after an agreement signing, his government would send a technical assessment team to the Solomons to begin the job on the ground.
Secretary to the Solomons Prime Minister and Chairman of the National Hosting Authority, Dr Jimmy Rogers, said China would help by funding more than 70 percent of the facilities needed for the games.
Most of American Samoa have had Covid-19 jab
Just over half of American Samoa's population have received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
The government said about 37 percent of people completed their dual shots as of 22 March.
American Samoans aged over 51 years and who were at a high risk of serious and/or life-threatening complications from Covid-19 continued to be vaccinated in large numbers.
Officials anticipated revising the Department of Health policies with regard to quarantine requirements.
Health official, Talenei Ale, said the US territory would continue to take extra precautions and a more conservative approach to quarantine measures.
He said American Samoa would continue to 'repatriate its citizens and keep its communities safe from Covid-19'.
Samoa's pandemic response gets a boost
Samoa's capacity to address the Covid-19 pandemic has been boosted with a $US140,000 Emergency Aid Grant from Japan.
Japan said its support would strengthen Samoa's vaccine cold chain.
Japanese ambassador to Samoa, Genichi Terasawa, said Tokyo was committed to assisting Apia's preparatory and response efforts to the pandemic.
Terasawa said with UNICEF Pacific's support on the ground, Japan could also provide transportation to ensure the vaccination rollout gets underway smoothly in Samoa.
Guam fishing rebuild delayed
The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council has deferred action on Guam's bottomfish stock rebuilding plan.
A meeting on the plan would be held in Hawai'i later this year.
The council says this will allow for a coordinated effort among the relevant agencies to develop the US territory's Bottomfish Fishery Management Plan-essential.
The council said the meeting would also ensure the stock was rebuilt in the shortest time possible, not more than 10 years, as required by the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
Ni-Vanutu scholarship students waiting for allowances, get food
Vanuatu's High Commission in Fiji has spent nearly $US3,000 to purchase food for distribution to government sponsored students who are still waiting for their allowances.
A lot of parents and students voiced their disappointment through social media, appealing to the government to urgently process the allowance of ni-Vanuatu students studying in Fiji under scholarship.
The Ministry of Education confirmed the list of students under government scholarship had been passed on to the Ministry of Finance to process, but as of the weekend the students had received nothing.
Students renting apartments outside of the USP campus are said to concerned that landlords will force them to move out because of unpaid rent.
School pupil in court over police attack
A high school student who allegedly assaulted a police officer in Fiji has appeared in court.
The student was alleged to have punched the officer at the Labasa Bus Station last week.
He was charged with one count of serious assault.
According to police, the officer had advised the student to tuck his shirt in but the student refused and allegedly swore at the policeman.
Police said the officer approached the student who then turned and allegedly punched him twice in his face.
The student had been released on bail and would reappear in court next month.