No lockdown

The simulation exercise will be conducted on Sunday and Monday.

There was speculation of a lockdown after two Covid-19 cases were detected in quarantine last weekend.

The implementation of the containment measures as part of the simulation exercise are aimed at testing the Covid-19 preparedness efforts of individuals, communities, organizations and government institutions that provide frontline of defense and response to this deadly disease.

A sufficient percentage of Americans have now been vaccinated to avoid lockdowns, Fauci said on ABC's "This Week".

"Not enough to crush the outbreak, but I believe enough to not allow us to get into the situation we were in last winter," he said.

The average number of new coronavirus cases reported nationwide has nearly doubled in the past 10 days, according to a Reuters analysis.

Even if states do not resort to lockdowns again, the spread of the Delta variant could still threaten the economy.

At a press conference, Loughman said the Government has faith in the health systems and the professional health personnel and front-line staff.

A Ni-Vanuatu repatriated from the United States, via Sydney and Auckland last week is the first official case.

The passenger has been transferred to the isolation facility at Vila Central Hospital.

Loughman said the preparedness and response measures that the government had worked on implementing over the past eight months have now been activated.