COVID-19

Hurricanes ready to roll again in Super Rugby Pacific

Last weekend's match against Moana Pasifika was postponed as they were unable to field a side because of the virus.

There is a chance that this weekend's game against the Chiefs in Wellington will be pushed back a day until Sunday.

The game is scheduled for Saturday night, but the Hurricanes coach assistant Chris Gibbes said there are discussions about delaying it a day.

"From our perspective having an extra day with the game on Sunday would be massively beneficial for us so hopefully we can get that across the line.

Vanuatu wants retired nurses to plug Covid induced staff crisis

It has also identified facilities in Port Vila and throughout the country that will become isolation sites to combat Covid-19, including the national stadium, the nursing school and a fitness centre.

The latest official figures show 128 active cases of Covid, including 59 new ones as of Thursday.

Three are on Sanma and the rest on Efate.

Three people are in hospital with one critical.

The entire country remains on Alert Level 3 and all inward flights have been suspended for the next month.

Vanuatu bans all sporting events due to lockdown and Covid-19 community cases

The Ministry of Youth and Sports said the sports ban is in effect as per the order from the Ministry of Health (MoH) on the Outbreak Alert Level 3 with a high risk of community transmission of COVID-19.

The ban is indefinite.

The public has been advised not to be involved in any sporting events or training but to continue to practice regular fitness at home.

“Home fitness training is essential during lockdown to always stay active; physically, and mentally fit as possible”.

Vanuatu’s national stadium transformed into medical and quarantine centre

The newly appointed Director General of the Ministry of Health, Russel Tamara says the EX FOL fitness centre in Port Vila and the Vanuatu Nursing School will also become quarantine centres.

Beds that were used during the 2017 South Pacific Mini Games have been sent to these new quarantine centres.

There are 74 positive cases in Port Vila and Vila Central Hospital has no capacity to accommodate them.

Tamata was former Director General (DG) of the Ministry of Health but was suspended last year over the allegations of misuse of covid funds.

Covid strikes Super Rugby Pacific again

It's been a tough week for the franchise, with Hurricanes Poua also forced to withdraw from their inaugural Super Rugby Aupiki match also because of Covid-19.

"We obviously wanted to play, and I really feel for the staff and players," Hurricanes chief executive Avan Lee said.

"We are also disappointed for Moana Pasifika who have already had to deal with this situation twice this season."

Health Minister announces 48 hour curfew for Vanuatu

At a media briefing today, Leingkone said the curfew will end at 6pm on Thursday.

He has also the public to remain at home during the curfew period.

The Ministry of Health has also suspended vaccinations.

Leingkone said the National Disaster Management Office has been activated for Efate and its offshore islands.

Efate and its offshore islands have now moved to Vanuatu Outbreak Alert Level 3.

The ministry said this means that the risk is very high and that there is community transmission of Covid-19 on Efate and its offshore islands.

Vanuatu confirms community transmission of Covid-19

There are a total of 58 Covid cases in the island nation and 10 of them are in the community.

Minister of Health, Bruno Leingkon said the community cases were discovered over the weekend after the Member of Parliament for Port Vila constituency, Anthony Yauko tested positive.

Yauko and the other members of a parliamentary committee he was with are now in quarantine on Iririki Island resort along with more than 50 other close contacts.

More than 150 other people from Port Vila and surrounding villages who are not close contacts are also in quarantine at Iririki.

Health development partners support Vanuatu Ministry of Health

The development partners include UNICEF, WHO, the Governments of Australia, Japan, and New Zealand, and The Pacific Community (SPC).

They provided 6,000 antigen detection rapid diagnostic test (Ag-RDT) kits: 5,000 Gene Xpert cartridges and 5,000 swabs for PCR testing; 15,000 Viral Transport Media (VTM) and swabs to allow Covid-19 tests to be transported to the testing laboratory.

Ni-Vanuatu workers copping abuse over Covid 19 outbreak

Seeka chief executive Michael Franks told the Ōpōtiki News last week that any workers from overseas who were out in public would have had no contact with the group who had been infected.

"We have had an instance where Ni-Vanuatu people who are not even contacts with Covid-19 have suffered some abuse in town for walking around in public. They've been called out by some locals. They're not even part of the RSE group that is affected."

Vanuatu Health authorities clear sick patient of Covid-19

The Ministry of Health said the VCH Management after a follow up of an internal communication with the patient concerned found out that there was no connection at all of the said sick patient with the repatriation travelers and the front-line workers.

The ministry said there is no contact or nor exposure at all with the people that are currently in quarantine facilities and does not fit at all the definition of suspect for Covid-19.