PINA

Fiji has recorded 128 new cases of COVID-19 and 12 deaths Monday, increasing the total number of cases in the Pacific nation to 47,923 and 518 deaths since the outbreak in April this year. Permanent Secretary for Health, Dr James Fong said 78 cases are from the Western division, 45 cases are from the Central division in Vitilevu, Fiji’s main...

A National Summit on Covid-19 will be held this November, says Papua New Guinea National Pandemic Controller David Manning. Manning said that they intended to hold the national summit on the PNG COVID-19 National Pandemic Response which will see participation from key partners involved in our response. “The intention of the summit is to bring everyone together to look at the...

New Caledonia has detected three cases of Covid-19 in the community and ordered a two-week lockdown from midday Tuesday. The three cases are not connected and involve people who haven't travelled, suggesting the virus is circulating in the community. President Louis Mapou said investigations have been launched immediately to identify contacts and the chain of transmission. One of the cases is an...

Fiji has been recognised as one of the few, if not the only country to have reached a commendable feat in its vaccination rate. Australian High Commissioner to Fiji, John Feakes has labelled the vaccination rate a world-class effort that deserves to be acknowledged. “If you look around the world there aren’t many countries if any that have reached Fiji’s level...

The Pacific Islands Chiefs of Police network says one of the biggest challenges countries in the region face with drugs washing up on their shores is geography and that Covid-19 could be making recruitment easier for drug traffickers. In July, an estimated 14kgs of cocaine washed up on beaches in Vava'u. Tongan police seized the haul and an ongoing investigation has...

Telstra chief executive Andy Penn has visited Papua New Guinea to discuss with the country’s political leaders the company’s planned purchase of telco Digicel Pacific. Penn’s three-day visit to PNG last month suggests Telstra has stepped up its due diligence to potentially partner with the Australian government to acquire Digicel and support the government’s goal of preventing the Pacific telco...

Federated States of Micronesia is seeking to expand its foreign engagement beyond the United States, and it is in Australia’s interests to answer the call, Gonzaga Puas writes. Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is situated in a strategically significant area in an increasingly contested oceanic space. The United States has a major presence in FSM and throughout the western...

Federated States of Micronesia(FSM) President David Panuelo says Micronesian leaders remain committed to leaving Pacific Island Forum (PIF) despite attempts to reconcile with other Pacific leaders. “The commitment is the same.: Leaders from Nauru, Palau, Kiribati, Marshal Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia met virtually last week for their annual summit. The Micronesian countries make up a third of the Forum's...

The recognised seasonal employment one-way quarantine-free travel bubble between New Zealand and three Pacific nations has been put on hold as Delta cases continue to emerge in the Covid-19 outbreak. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced in August that Cabinet had agreed in principle for seasonal workers from Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu to travel to New Zealand without undergoing a two-week...

Peter Stewart has been appointed CEO of the 2023 Pacific Games Organising Committee, with just over 800 days until the opening ceremony in Honiara. The Australian-based administrator was CEO of the 2015 Pacific Games in Port Moresby and has held several other positions in Papua New Guinea and at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji. He replaces Shalom Akao...