Vanuatu's national Korman stadium in Port Vila has been transformed into a medical and quarantine centre.
Vila Central Hospital Photo: RNZ Pacific Hilaire Bule
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.
At the beginning of this year he was appointed as DG to the Ministry of Sports.
Tamara has been re-appointed as the DG of health following the current community outbreak and the increase of the positive cases.
Meanwhile, health authorities in Vanuatu's northern town of Luganville have confirmed that passengers and crew members of a Vanuatu cargo vessel anchored there have all tested negative.
This followed the boarding of the ship by health authorities in Luganville on Monday.
At that time they tested 61 people who were on board including the passengers and the crew members.
Health authorities suspected one of the passengers to be a close contact of the members of parliament in quarantine at Iririki Island Resort.
The vessel left Port Vila last week and went to Malekula.
While it was in central of the island of Pentecost, the captain was ordered to direct his ship to northern port of Luganville.
