French Polynesia suffers another Covid death

4:26 pm on 2 February 2021

French Polynesia has recorded another Covid-19 death, raising the pandemic's tally to 132.

An ambulance enters the Taaone hospital in Papeete, the French overseas territory of Polynesia. (2014)

Photo: AFP

There are 27 people with Covid-19 in hospital, 14 of them in intensive care.

So far, more than 18,100 have tested positive for the virus, including 41 in past three days.

All but 62 of the cases were detected after the borders were reopened in July and mandatory quarantine requirements were abolished to boost tourism.

The borders are closing again on Wednesday local time in an attempt to contain the virus.

The French territory began its vaccination programme on 18 January with more than 2100 frontline health workers and those over 75 having received the jab so far.

In New Caledonia, vaccinations began on 20 January with 1118 frontline and healthcare workers, and the elderly having received their first jab.

There are 17,550 doses of the two-stage Pfizer vaccine available for 8500 people in the first tranche of the programme.