Air Niugini restores direct PNG-Japan route after pandemic suspension
AIR Niugini has restored direct flights between Port Moresby and Tokyo’s Narita airport, reopening a route that first linked Papua New Guinea and Japan in 2018.
COVID-19
Opinion: Fiji’s emigration boom: will it last?
The spike in migration out of Fiji since the end of COVID has been widely commented on. It is certainly real. Prior to 2018 there were on average about 9,000 more departures than arrivals of Fijian residents every year.
WHO watches for new covid variants
Three years since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been more than 774 million confirmed cases and more than seven million reported deaths globally, according to recent statistics by the World Health
COVID19 a wake-up call for Pacific countries to strengthen social security systems
The COVID19 crisis was a wake-up call for many Pacific Island Countries to enhance their social security systems. According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), its 14 Pacific Developing Member Countries (PMDCs) were
WHO: Pacific islands facing a bumpy road toward the ‘Healthy Islands’ vision
Pacific island states and territories may have emerged from the worst days of the Covid-19 pandemic, but they must also brace for other disease outbreaks and climate-related disasters in the future, according to the
‘Have courage’: Tokelau records its first four community COVID-19 cases
Tokelau remains in lockdown following the announcement of its first Covid-19 community cases. “We knew that it would eventually get to Tokelau, so we prepared,” Tokelau Government General Manager Aukusitino
Tokelau: first COVID community case, lockdown imposed
Tokelau has confirmed its first community case of Covid-19 and a lockdown has been imposed. A spokesperson for the government has confirmed to RNZ Pacific the small nation of three atolls announced the first-ever case
WHO chief declares end to COVID-19 as a global health emergency
The head of the UN World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared “with great hope” an end to COVID-19 as a public health emergency, stressing that it does not mean the disease is no longer a global threat. “Last
No jab, no job policy revoked in Fiji
Fiji’s Attorney General Siromi Turaga has confirmed that the government has revoked the No Jab, No Job policy. Turaga said cabinet has decided to revoke the policy, effective Thursday. The Attorney General
55 countries face a health worker crunch linked to COVID-19: WHO
No less than 55 countries are struggling with serious health worker shortages as they continue to seek better paid opportunities in wealthier nations that have stepped up efforts to recruit them amid the COVID-19
WHO regional director fired for alleged racist misconduct
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has fired its top official in the Western Pacific after the Associated Press reported last year that dozens of staff members accused him of racist, abusive and unethical behaviour
PILNA identifies room for improvement
Pacific Island teachers are satisfied and proud of their work, but many of them have high stress levels. This is one of the newly-released findings of the Pacific Islands Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (PILNA) for
Solomon Islands report show ‘internal control failures’ of COVID-19 funds
The Solomon Islands Auditor General’s Office (OAG) has identified a range of internal control failures in its recently released Audit reports into the administration of Disaster Relief Funds during the COVID-19
New Guam bill seeks to rein in the governor’s emergency powers
In yet another attempt to clip the governor of Guam’s emergency powers, Senator Chris Duenas Tuesday introduced a bill that would authorise the legislature to terminate a public health emergency declaration. Bill 7-37
Negative economic growth on Pacific countries due to COVID-19
The Pacific Islands experienced negative economic growth of -2.3 percent in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, stated the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Director General, Gilbert F. Houngbo in a report tabled
Opinion: The Pacific, emerging from COVID, slowly
The impact of COVID-19 on the economies of the Pacific island region has been much more severe than on any other region or group of countries. The Pacific contracted by 5.4% between 2019 and 2021; other regions or
Tonga lifts most COVID health restrictions
After two-years and six-months, Tonga has lifted most of its COVID-19 health restrictions, including that for international travel and the national curfew, effective from September 27. The border has now fully
Chuuk in FSM loses COVID-free status
Chuuk, in the Federated States of Micronesia, is no longer a COVID-free state, with 480 infections reported as of September 26, the office of the Governor of Chuuk announced. Out of the total infections confirmed, there
Fiji Tourism looks north
As Fiji reopens to the world, Tourism Fiji’s top priority is securing new markets. “We were very serious about what we were doing over there,” says Tourism Fiji CEO Brent Hill about Fiji Airways’ recent
Niue premier warns against falsifying travel documents
The Niue government is concerned as allegations emerge of passengers falsifying travel application requirements while the Health Department continues investigations into the origin of the index case of the current
‘Everyone’s business’ – Vanuatu reopens to tourists
Vanuatu reopened to tourists on July 1, but there is still some work to do to reopen properties that have been shuttered for two years and fill frontline tourism positions. Virgin Australia says it will resume its
Pacific fisheries observers deployment to resume in January 2023
The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) said that it will lift the moratorium on the fisheries observer coverage in the region by January 2023. In a Circular Memo in June, WCPFC stated that the
Marshall Islands praised for ‘unprecedented’ COVID response
United States-based medical doctors praised the Marshall Islands for an “unprecedented” response to its first COVID outbreak, as the positive case numbers declined dramatically this week after a record-setting first
