Twenty-seven people in Tonga breach home quarantine rules, Pacific communities in Hawaii get funding in the fight against Covid-19, and more.
Tonga's capital, Nuku'alofa Photo: RNZ Pacific
27 people in Tonga breached home quarantine rules
Tonga's government has revealed that 27 returning passengers breached home isolation rules, leading to a decision to extend the managed quarantine period.
The government has extended the managed quarantine period from 14 days and seven days home isolation to 21 days with no home isolation.
Previously the third week of mandatory quarantine had been isolation at home
However local media reports that a total of 27 people breached home quarantine rules.
Minister for Health Dr 'Amelia Tu'ipulotu said a quarantine report on passengers found that during the seven days of home quarantine, 16 people left their homes.
Furthermore, seven people received visitors, and four people held gatherings.
Dr Tu'ipulotu emphasised that this is a very important part of the quarantine period.
Tonga hopes to receive Covid-19 vaccines
Tonga's Ministry of Health says it could possibly receive Covid-19 vaccines in the beginning of the second quarter of the year.
However the acting Chief Executive Officer Dr Reynold 'Ofanoa told local media that there has been no set date confirmed on the arrival of vaccines to Tonga.
Last week, the global COVAX facility announced that it's expected to release the first doses of Pfizer/BioNtec vaccine and the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine during the first half of 2021.
Tonga has been listed to receive 43,200 indicative doses of the Astra Zeneca vaccine from a manufacturing source known as AZ/SKBio
The number of doses is a guide only for the country to prepare for vaccine rollout.
New Zealand, Australia, and other partners are also offering more vaccines to Tonga.
Covid-19 funding granted to Pacific communities in Hawaii
The US Office of Insular Affairs has awarded over a million US dollars in funding to help Pacific Island communities in Hawaii who are disproportionately affected by Covid-19.
State health data indicates Pacific people, including native Hawaiians, are more than twice as likely to die or be hospitalised by coronavirus than other groups.
Chuukese, Marshallese, and Samoans are among the most impacted.
The $US1,033,100 will be administered by 'We are Oceania', an NGO with Pacific cultural and language expertise.
The funds will be used to train Pacific language specialists to answer and respond to queries about the pandemic, manage food drive efforts, deliver PPE, and provide cleaning supplies.
Vanuatu's Electoral office investigates voting cards scam
Vanuatu's Electoral office is investigating allegations that seasonal work agents are demanding applicants to change their voting cards if they want to go to Australia and New Zealand.
The Principal Electoral officer, Joe Johnson Iati said some applicants who normally vote in rural areas are reportedly being forced to change their notified polling stations to municipalities, and vice versa.
Mr Iati said the allegations are disturbing, and is appealing to anyone who was forced to change their voting cards to report to the Vanuatu Electoral office.
He warned that agents forcing applicants for seasonal work to change their voting cards will be dealt with according to the law.
