Fiji records eight more Covid deaths; Kiribati extends curfew; American Samoan health officials find some covid infections historical; Vanuatu will resume repatriation flights this weekend; Nauru gets vaccine help through UNICEF and charges likely for Samoa staff who breached quarantine protocols
Fiji records eight more Covid deaths
Eight more people have died from Covid-19 in Fiji including a six month old girl.
There are 95 new cases reported in the community.
The government says the baby was hospitalised on 14 January after suffering a 'congenital medical condition'.
It said this had contributed to the severity of the infant's illness and she died on 31 January.
Fiji has 1,397 active cases in isolation with the death toll at 809.
There are 86 Covid-19 patients in hospital.
Photo: AFP
Kiribati extends curfew
The Government of Kiribati has extended its nationwide curfew for another week after 146 new Covid-19 cases were reported on Thursday.
The health ministry said they have now recorded a total of 913 positive infections in the country, mostly on South Tarawa, Betio, Buota, and Butaritari.
The curfew - which was supposed to end Friday - is expected to allow the health authorities to complete their work with the AUSMAT Rapid Assessment Team on the national health response strategies.
The government said more information on the restrictions on movement will be provided later.
American Samoan health officials find some covid infections historical
In American Samoa re-testing of the 38 Covid-19 passengers on an Hawaiian Airlines flight on January 27th shows all but five had had Covid previously.
The Health Director Motusa Tuileama Nua said the passengers hadn't revealed this on arrival as required, so authorities are struggling to identify those with active infections.
Retesting and interviewing of passengers and analysis of results of those at the quarantine rite at Tradewinds Hotel has yet to be completed.
He said once this is done, they will know the total number of passengers who are true positives.
The Health Director says no one will be leaving the quarantine sites today as planned but will remain in quarantine for an extra three days.
Vanuatu will resume repatriation flights this weekend.
The Vanuatu Daily Post is reporting Vanuatu began administering booster shots from Friday for frontline workers including airport staff, customs, immigration and health workers.
Acting Director of Public Health, Jenny Stephens, said people who travel overseas and return within a year are also included in the priority group.
She confirmed that booster shots of both the AstraZeneca and Sinopharm vaccines will be administered.
She told the Daily Post, "this is to reduce their risk of severe disease once overseas. This group of people are urged to come forward for their 3rd doses if it is five or more months since their 2nd dose."
Nauru gets vaccine help through UNICEF
Nauru's defence against COVID-19 will be strengthened with the delivery of thousands of Pfizer vaccines in the coming months.
This week Australia provided 5,850 doses of Pfizer vaccine to Nauru as part of a multi million dollar partnership with UNICEF to procure up to 20 million vaccines for partner countries in the Pacific and Southeast Asia by the end of 2022.
Nauru's Minister for Health, Isabella Dageago, said the country had vaccinated 97 per cent of its adult population against COVID-19.
She said this latest batch will allow the island to protect its children from the disease, which she called a significant step toward fully opening Nauru to the world.
Charges likely for Samoa staff who breached quarantine protocols
A nurse and a driver with Samoa's National Emergency Operations Centre, who breached quarantine protocols, are likely to be charged by police after they made an unscheduled stop at an ATM machine last Saturday.
The Samoa Observer reported the deputy Police Commissioner, Auapaau Logoitino Filipo, saying the staffers are in quarantine and under investigation for possible criminal charges filed after they had come out of isolation.
Another deputy commissioner, Papalii Monalisa Keti, said there were no officers stationed at the quarantine site due to the limited number of staff.
In October last year a returning seasonal worker caused widespread panic when he escaped a quarantine site and visited several public places before ending up at a money transfer service.
He later faced charges for breaching the S.O.E. Orders.
