Niue

Niue says it has stamped out Covid-19 in the community

Community transmission was first announced in November last year.

RNZ Pacific reports there was a peak in December with the number of positive cases reaching 390 out of a population of about 1400.

Since then, January saw 210 positive cases, which gradually decreased as people recovered and very few new cases were detected or reported to the Health Department.

Minister for Health Sauni Tongatule said he was very pleased that there are now no active cases.

New Covid-19 cases on Niue

RNZ Pacific reports there are 169 active cases in the community.

439 cases have been reported in total since March this year.

 

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Niue covid cases continues to rise

That takes the active case tally to 66, with three recovered cases.

180 cases have been recorded in total since Covid-19 arrived at the border 'via air from New Zealand' in March this year.

     

Niue has first Covid cases in the community

Up until now the country has not experienced a case of the virus in the community, while there have been just 30 cases recorded at the border.

The acting Premier and Minister of Health, Sauni Tongatule, says contact tracing began immediately after the cases were detected and all affected people are being contacted by Niue's health officials.

Earlier this week Niue was able to announce that the number of workers in its Covid-19 teams had increased after assistance from a New Zealand medical team.

 

Covid-19 cases at Niue's border now ten

It follows the arrival of the first quarantine free flight from New Zealand last week.

The government says so far all of the people who have tested positive for the virus were on the flight.

Premier Dalton Tagelagi is a close contact of one of the passengers and is in isolation at home.

Niue remains at Alert Level Yellow as there is no community transmission.

The government asks anyone with Covid-19 symptoms to get tested.

 

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Pacific Maritime Safety Programme approved for another four years

The programme delivers maritime safety initiatives to seven Pacific Island countries – Cook Islands, Kiribati, Niue, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga and Tuvalu.

The funding, from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2026, marks the fourth phase of the programme.

The PMSP is a Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade programme, funded through the International Development Cooperation programme and delivered by Maritime NZ.

Dozens of teenagers in Niue given expired vaccine doses

Niue's Director-General, Ministry of Social Services, Gaylene Tasmania, says the out-of-date booster doses were administered incorrectly on May 24.

She says as soon as the ministry became aware of the misinterpretation on expiry dates, they acted quickly.

"As soon as we became aware of the misinterpretation on expiry dates, we notified the 51 people and their families," she said.

Niue says its borders will stay shut to tourists

The Cook Islands has announced it will re-open its borders from the second week of January, but Niue Tourism Board chairperson Vanessa Marsh said they would not following suit.

She said Niue doesn't have a set date for re-opening its borders, but the country was looking toward late in the first half of 2022.

Marsh said Niue was taking a cautious approach.

Niue achieves herd immunity for covid

The island, with a population of about 1500, has now vaccinated almost 100 percent of its target group.

Stuff reports a national celebration was held on Tuesday to mark the vaccination milestone.

With Pfizer vaccines supplied by New Zealand, Niue began its vaccination programme on June 1 and vaccinated 97 per cent of the eligible population on the first round.

The second round went smoothly and achieved the same results, with vaccinations completed on July 9.

Niue's government is looking to vaccinate those aged 12-15, once it gets the go-ahead from MedSafe.

Former Niue premier Sir Toke Talagi dies after lengthy illness

The four-term premier has been ailing for the past few years, to the point where much of his last year as premier was spent in New Zealand for medical treatment.

Sir Toke was flown to Auckland Hospital last week, but was returned by charter flight to Niue on Sunday - where he died two days later surrounded by family.

The government of Niue said it was Sir Toke's wish to return and spend his final days on his beloved island Niue.