Covid

Papua New Guinea is facing a worsening outbreak as tensions simmer between rural communities and health officials, Hugh McClure writes. Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) Delta outbreak continues to worsen. 4,858 cases have been recorded in the past 14 days, bringing the country’s total to 29,715 cases and 370 deaths. 10,968 cases have now been recorded…

Our fortnightly update on COVID-19 in the Pacific. Papua New Guinea’s health system is being overwhelmed as positive cases in the country skyrocket, while Fiji has begun opening up to international travel, Hugh McClure writes. COVID-19 case numbers across the Pacific have broadly stayed stable this past fortnight with the exception of Papua New Guinea…

Pacific leaders demonstrated their concern for global vaccine inequality at the United Nations this fortnight, Hugh McClure writes. New Caledonia’s deadly COVID-19 outbreak continued to deteriorate this fortnight. 4,539 cases have been recorded in New Caledonia in the past two weeks, bringing its total to 8,142 cases and 157 deaths. 7,990 out of 8,142 total…

The COVID-19 pandemic has not had a consistent impact across the countries and territories of Micronesia. While parts of the sub-region, including Kiribati, Nauru and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) have remained virus-free throughout the pandemic, the US territories of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) have been subject to…

Widespread vaccine hesitancy is stifling Papua New Guinea’s vaccine rollout, even as case numbers grow along the country’s border with Indonesia, Hugh McClure writes. New Caledonia has become the latest part of the Pacific Islands region to suffer a major outbreak of COVID-19. 3,603 cases have been now been recorded in the territory, 3,467 of…