View from the West
During times of national crisis, people look to their government for political leadership, meaningful financial and welfare assistance, and general reassurance. The COVID-19 pandemic might not be a war in the true sense
COVID19
Debt traps and doing business
By Samantha Magick Tourism may be the poster child of the Pacific’s post-COVID economic crisis, but it’s not the only sector that has suffered. A stark example of the challenges that border closures are causing came
USP’s regional students struggle to study
By Leila Parina Regional students studying at the University of the South Pacific’s Laucala campus in Fiji have had another difficult semester. The COVID-19 outbreak which began in April this year and has claimed over
Virtual leadership- a new norm?
By Dennis Rounds During times of national crisis, people look to their government for political leadership, meaningful financial and welfare assistance, and general reassurance. The COVID-19 pandemic might not be a war
View from the West: High and dry in “new normal” Fiji
Here, in what some call the “burning West”, a pub with no beer is to some parched human throats what a dry river is to a herd of thirsty cattle. Due to COVID lockdowns, Fijians walked for close to two months in the
We Say: COVID awareness needs to speak our languages
By Samisoni Pareti When I suggested to a friend on Facebook that we should host a live session on the social media platform about COVID-19 and vaccinations, I absolutely had no idea what we were getting into. Seven days
Coping with COVID in PNG
By early June, Papua New Guinea’s COVID-19 cases stood at 15,938 and 15,088 of that number have recovered. There have been 162 deaths, and so at the time of reporting, there were 688 active cases. So how is the PNG
Fiji COVID cases hit 1200 in a day
As Fiji’s daily COVID-19 cases hit 1,200 in a 24 hour period, Fiji’s top health official is looking to bring in more retired health workers, recent graduates and civil servants to help boost medical and health
Economist says Guam’s economic future remains unpredictable
Guam’s post-lockdown economic activity may have returned to “some semblance of normalcy or some notion of what it was before,” but unpredictable variables are clouding the long-term outlook for the island, Bank of
New COVID case in Solomon Islands
A positive case of COVID-19 has been announced in Solomon Islands’ Western Province following testing of ship crew members. The patient is a crew member on an international cargo ship which has been under
Palau Customs Director calls for stricter border controls
The Director of Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, John Tarkong Jr last week recommended that Palau’s president stop issuing waivers of entry permits to persons, vessels and aircraft coming into the country.
CDC expert says Palau has beaten COVID
A career epidemiology field officer for U.S affiliated Pacific Islands with U.S Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr W Thane Hancock said Palau is one of the first countries to have beaten COVID.
We Say: COVID awareness needs to speak our languages
When I suggested to a friend on Facebook that we should host a live session on the social media platform about COVID-19 and vaccinations, I absolutely had no idea what we were getting into. Seven days later and three
PS looks to 80% vaccination rate before lifting of restrictions
Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Health says he’s looking at an 80% vaccination rate before restrictions on movement, gatherings and workplaces can be further relaxed. Currently 230,000 people have received their
Marshalls vaccinates fishermen in Majuro
The Marshall Islands has launched Covid-19 vaccinations for commercial fishermen temporarily in port Majuro — possibly the first Pacific island to vaccinate foreign fishermen. With the country vaccination programme
PNG vaccine expiring soon
With the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine from the Covax facility expiring next month, Papua New Guinea health officials are concerned that some may waste due to the slow uptake among health workers and the public. Deputy
Wallis and Futuna to return vaccine stocks
Wallis and Futuna plans to return about a third of its Covid-19 vaccine stocks by the end of the month because of resistance to the inoculation programme. France sent 18,000 doses to Wallis in March when a community
Vanuatu receives Sinopharm doses
Vanuatu has officially received the 20,000 doses of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine and 22,400 syringes from the Chinese Government Monday. China’s Sinopharm was the second vaccine to arrive in Port Vila, a month after
Pacific WTO members urged to support vaccine move
Pacific islands members of the World Trade Organisation are being urged to support a proposal designed to make COVID-19 vaccines more available to developing countries. Fiji and Vanuatu have already joined as sponsors
The new diplomacy: Vaccines and soft power
Despite efforts to coordinate coronavirus vaccine delivery on a regional and global basis, Pacific Island governments are increasingly meeting their vaccine needs through bilateral arrangements, a situation which is
Opinion: COVID-19, the Western Front and Stealing Thunder
By Dennis Rounds Faced with a second COVID-19 lockdown, just 12 months after the first, I’ve convinced myself that I now have a better understanding of the term “Western Front”. During the First World War, a large
How two unis are responding to COVID
When Islands Business met with leaders from the University of the South Pacific recently, they were just hours away from making the decision to cancel the year’s graduation ceremonies in Fiji. It was the start of the
The new diplomacy: Vaccines and soft power
Despite efforts to coordinate coronavirus vaccine delivery on a regional and global basis, Pacific Island governments are increasingly meeting their vaccine needs through bilateral arrangements, a situation which is