PINA

Vanuatu could be the first country in the region to trial pre-quarantining of seasonal workers in country, as Australia looks to meet its commitment to double the number of Pacific labourers by March. Australia’s Agriculture Minister David Littleproud told ABC’s AM programme, earlier this week, that the arrangement would include Vanuatu. “This month we'll be trialling in country quarantine in Vanuatu." "...

COVID-19 will remain in Fiji just like common flu, says Ministry of Health and Medical Services chief medical advisor Dr Jemesa Tudravu. He highlighted this during a virtual conference with members of the Fiji Principals Association. Dr Tudravu said the virus would become an endemic disease just like common flu. “So, where are we heading,” he said. “From a health perspective, we believe...

Climate activist Gladys Habu has challenged world leaders to bring the next climate change COP (Conference of the Parties) to the Pacific region, in order for global leaders to see for themselves the impacts of climate change. The COP conferences are annual meetings held to access countries' progress in reducing emissions and developing strategies for doing more. COP26 is a forthcoming...

New COVID-19 cases from Labasa and additional cases on Malolo Island reported Thursday as infections are now recorded in Fiji’s major divisions. Fiji has recorded 423 new cases of COVID 19 and nine new deaths increasing the total number of cases in the island nation to 45,098 and 466 deaths since the outbreak in April. Permanent secretary for Health, Dr James...

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says ten Pacific states have not had any cases of Covid-19 to date. They are American Samoa, Niue, the Cook Islands, Pitcairn Island, Kiribati, Tokelau, the Federated States of Micronesia, Tonga, Nauru and Tuvalu. Another five Pacific states have had no cases in the past 100 days. They are Wallis and Futuna; Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Samoa, and...

Leaders from the south Auckland church at the centre of the largest sub-cluster in the Auckland Covid-19 outbreak have spoken out about the strain it has put on their community. The Assembly of God Church of Samoa NZ in Māngere has so far seen more than 100 cases linked to a service there on 15 August. Close to 500 people were...

Around 36,800 AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses from COVAX, funded by Japan, arrived in Tonga Thursday, said Ministry of Health CEO Dr Siale ‘Akau’ola. These doses would be sent to start vaccination rollouts in Ha’apai and the Niuas. Another batch of vaccines was expected from Australia, and New Zealand also had plans to provide the Pfizer vaccines, which the Ministry of Health...

The next three months will be a critical period for stepping up global collective action against future pandemics, the head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Wednesday, pointing to three major meetings on the international agenda. Although the COVID-19 caseload stabilised last week, after nearly two months of increases, the level remains high, said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom...

By Solomon Yeo and Vishal Prasad The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report has reaffirmed that no one is safe from the climate crisis. Globally, we all now face the impacts of a warming planet. Here in the Pacific, we are faced with some of the most extreme effects of the crisis with predictions showing the worst is yet...

Amid reports of growing demand for kava, Bundaberg Regional Council is looking at potential partnership opportunities for the region in the future. Within a recent submission to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade(DFAT), responding to the Pacific Labour Mobility discussion paper, the local council outlined how legal and safe consumption of kava could make for a more for a...