Solomon Islands records over 800 Covid-19 cases
Solomon Islands has recorded a further 143 new Covid-19 cases.
This brings the total positive cases in the nation to 898, with the death toll still at five.
Solomon Islands Minister of Health, Culwick Togamana. Photo: Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation
The Ministry of Health confirmed this week that community transmission was now widespread in the capital Honiara and some provincial areas.
The Health Minister, Culwick Togamana, said more than 100 front-line workers have been infected with Covid-19 and are isolating.
Dr Togamana said the loss of staff has added challenges to the already overwhelmed health system.
The CNMI records 23rd Covid-19 death
The 23rd death from Covid-19 has been recorded in the Northern Marianas Islands.
The US territory's coronavirus cases have risen 124, ending a trend of declining cases in the past few weeks.
The 124 additional cases bring the CNMI total to 4,564 cases since March 2020.
Nine people are in hospital as a result of Covid-19.
Nearly 99 percent of the CNMI's eligible population are fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
Our correspondent said 18,600 booster shots have been administered so far, and this accounts for an estimated 50 percent of the CNMI's 12-and-older population.
Covid-19: Vulnerable Fijians defaulting on check-ups, warns Govt
Health authorities in Fiji say there are people failing to turn up to necessary medical check-ups amid a surge in Covid-19 cases across the country.
Health Secretary Dr James Fong said this has prompted the ministry to visit these communities and provide oversight on how they are doing.
But he said this is not enough because majority of them need constant medical services.
While some vulnerable Fijians continue to seek medical interventions, Dr Fong warns those who ignore them could be worsening their health conditions.
"The Ministry of Health has sorted outline leads so that we know the patients that we have identified and who we've been working with who are attending all our special outpatient clinics and that we've provided some level of oversight over them.
"Unfortunately, it seems there are a lot of people who are either defaulted on our clinic or being cared for in informal settings that make it difficult for us to access and provide any oversight over them.
"We've also asked the same thing from our business houses to look at all the various vulnerable groups within their workforce and to provide some oversight over those vulnerable groups."
Fiji has 1,980 Covid-19 patients in isolation with the death toll at 791 since March 2020.
Clean-up underway on Rarotonga
Rarotonga's Operation Island Clean-up kicks off today to prevent an outbreak of dengue fever.
In the wake of the recent high seas and flooding caused by a major tropical depression, many sites around the island are now prone to the breeding of mosquitoes and the possibility of a dengue outbreak.
The depression damaged infrastructure such as roads and wharves, clogged up drains and uprooted trees.
The Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown said non-essential public servants will be released from their regular duties to assist in the clean-up.
Vanuatu faces secondary school shortage
The Vanuatu government said there are not enough secondary schools to accommodate Year 11 students this year.
The Vanuatu Daily Post said this has been confirmed by the Principal Education Officer of the Examination and Assessment Unit, Jimmy Henry.
Mr Henry said while temporary reforms have been put in place to assist those students, while the Ministry of Education is working to address the national secondary school shortage, to allow the students to enjoy their right to education.
It is likely that most secondary school classrooms will now accommodate higher numbers of students instead of the normal 25 students per classroom.
American Samoa govt spent millions on its Covid-19 safe travel operations
American Samoa spent nearly US$41-million to support its Covid-19 Safe Travel operations in 2021, with more than US$20-million on repatriation flights from Hawaii.
This is according to the "American Samoa's Response to the Covid Pandemic: Covid-19 Task Force Operations Report 2021" week by the Governor's Office.
The territory's Covid Task Force report for last year notes that various funding sources utilised to support Covid-19 related operations last year including funds from the federal government.
The support package also covered 'Hero payments' for frontline staff and overtime, and vaccination incentives to get more people jabbed.
