AUCKLAND (RNZ Pacific/Pacific Media Watch): More Covid-19 pandemic cases have been confirmed in the Pacific, taking the total of infected people to at least 172, with several countries increasing restrictions as the virus hits the region.
Hawaii now has 90 Covid-19 cases.
Guam confirmed five more cases of Covid-19 overnight bringing the US territory’s official total to 37, including one death.
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French Polynesia now has 25 cases of Covid-19.
Another four people in New Caledonia were confirmed to carry the Covid-19 virus on Wednesday, raising the tally within one week to 14.
Fiji recorded its fifth Covid-19 case on Wednesday and the patient is linked to the country’s first patient.
Papua New Guinea has one Covid-19 case.
Timor-Leste also has one case.
Restrictions
Vanuatu’s president has declared a state of emergency in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Obed Moses Tallis made the declaration this morning in Port Vila.
Samoa became officially locked down at midnight Wednesday.
New Caledonia imposed restrictions on movement for two weeks.
The Fiji government has locked down the nation’s second biggest city of Lautoka where the first case was reported.
All schools in Tonga will shut down this Friday for two weeks as part of precautionary measures against the Covid-19 pandemic. Tonga has also declared a state of emergency.
In Papua New Guinea, the James Marape-led government declared a state of emergency which came into effect on Tuesday.
The Acting Governor-General in Tuvalu declared a state of emergency for the atolls in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Papua blocks ports
Indonesian-administered Papua province has blocked entry at its ports as it elevated its alert level over Covid-19.
Solomon Islands declared a state of public emergency on Tuesday night as the island nation ramps up its response to the global Covid-19 pandemic.
American Samoa is now under the new alert level – Code Blue – all education institutes will be closed, public service work hours staggered and public gatherings suspended.
Hawaiian Airlines has reduced its long-haul flights to the US mainland and to American Samoa, as Hawaii starts its 14-day quarantine requirement due to the pandemic.
As of Monday, all people travelling into the CNMI from a country with a Covid-19 outbreak are to be quarantined for a 14-day period. The Governor declared a State of Emergency last week.
The Marshall Islands and Federated States of Micronesia – have completely sealed their borders.
The Cook Islands’ Covid-19 alert status will be upgraded to ‘Code Yellow’ at 6pm today local time.
‘Code Yellow’ restricts mass gathering, including church services.
French Polynesia has tightened its borders and only residents will be allowed to enter Tahiti, and movements for locals have also been restricted.
This article is republished by the Pacific Media Centre under a partnership agreement with RNZ.
- If you have symptoms of the coronavirus, call the NZ Covid-19 Healthline on 0800 358 5453 (+64 9 358 5453 for international SIMs) or call your GP – don’t show up at a medical centre.
Pacific Media Watch
