Fiji authorities confident Omicron variant is contaned
Health authorities in Fiji remain confident that cases of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 have been contained in managed isolation.
Two people returned to Fiji from Nigeria last month and tested positive Omicron in border quarantine.
RNZ Pacific's correspondent in Fiji, Lice Movono said despite confirmation of the two Omicron cases Covid-19 restrictions have remained the same.
"As it stands all we know is that they were restricted to quarantine because that entire flight was majority passengers coming in from what we are calling non-travel partner countries they were made to quarantine for 10 days.
Passengers and flight crew who had travelled on the same flight have all tested negative for covid," she said.
PNG parliament passes tough new drug laws
Papua New Guinea's parliament has passed tough new drug laws.
Anyone caught trafficking, peddling or consuming illicit drugs or controlled substances will face life imprisonment or a fine of up to US$550,000 under the new laws.
A view of the government benches in Papua New Guinea's parliament. Photo: RNZ / Johnny Blades
All MPs are in favour of the Controlled Substance Bill 2021.
MPs say the new laws will give PNG's judicial system the tools to prosecute drug dealers and discourage international networks using Papua New Guinea as a transit point.
The Justice Minister Bryan Kramer said the Bill is consistent with international standards for transnational offences such as drug trafficking.
Hefty quarantine bill for Samoa govt
The Samoa government has spent US$7.1-million on Covid-19 quarantine facilities since March last year.
Samoa Observer reports Minister of Finance, Mulipola Anarosa Ale-Molio'o saying 74 percent of the total cost is for accommodation, breakfast and lunch for 6,697 passengers who have been repatriated to Samoa to date.
All passengers pay air travel costs and for dinner under the State of Emergency orders.
Mulipola said the priority is to protect our people but it will not stop Cabinet from looking at options that will prioritize safety and reduce the cost on the Government budget.
The minister said the cost of securing the country's borders was well worth the alternative of having the virus in Samoa.
While the travel ban remains in place Samoa's Bureau of Statistics reports there is international flights to and from Samoa to New Zealand and American Samoa from time to time.
Audit to probe major overruns in PNG public service pay
An audit by international firm Deloitte will be held into the USD$1.6-billion paid in salaries and fees to Papua New Guinea's 130-thousand public servants
Oro Governor Gary Juffa - who is the chair of the special parliamentary committee on public sector reform and service delivery - has announced the audit.
He said Deloitte will find out why PNG has had hundreds of millions of Kina in overruns in public service salaries and fees for the last 10 years.
Mr Juffa said either someone cannot draft budgets or someone is just adding people onto the public payroll at will or ghosts have appeared through ghost holes.
He said the overspending has to stop and the audit will modernise PNG's public service payroll system and save a lot of money.
American Samoa govt requests review and recount of 2020 census
The American Samoa Government will request a complete count review and a recount of the territory's 2020 Census to include people who were repatriated after the Census was conducted.
Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga has requested the American Samoa Commerce Department inquire how to approach the U.S. Census Bureau to conduct a recount.
The US Census Bureau has released the 2020 Census for American Samoa which shows the population count in 2020 decreased by 10.5% from the 2010 census.
As of April 1, 2020, the territory's population was 49,710, down from the 2010 Census figure of 55,519.
The drop in population count has prompted concerns from the community who are questioning the accuracy of the census that's carried out every 10 years.
American Samoa's govt approves a special roundtrip charter from Fiji
American Samoa's government has approved a special roundtrip charter from Nadi, Fiji, next week.
The Fiji Airways charter will bring medical personnel for the LBJ hospital and Department of Health.
The flight is also available for the public to travel from and to Fiji.
The charter flight will depart Nadi next week on December 16.
Travellers from Fiji to Pago Pago must provide a 72 hour negative Covid test and meet other American Samoa health requirements and register on the TalofaPass websystem to be approved for travel.