COVID-19 UPDATES 18 September
COVID-19 News Updates 18.09.2020
| Country | CasesConfirmed | Deaths |
| French Polynesia | 1224 (672 recovered) | 2 |
| Fiji | 32 (26 recovered) | 2 |
| New Caledonia | 26 (26 recovered) | 0 |
| Papua New Guinea | 516 (232 recovered) | 6 |
| Samoa | 0 | 0 |
| Vanuatu | 0 | 0 |
| Cook Islands | 0 | 0 |
| Tonga | 0 | 0 |
| Solomon Islands | 0 | 0 |
| Niue | 0 | 0 |
| Kiribati | 0 | 0 |
| FSM | 0 | 0 |
| Palau | 0 | 0 |
| Tuvalu | 0 | 0 |
| Marshall Islands | 0 | 0 |
| Nauru | 0 | 0 |
Note: The above data is sourced from the official website of the Western Pacific Region of the World Health Organization. It may update untimely or inconsistency with the relevant data in the article sourced from local news.
https://who.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/345dfdc82b5c4f6a815f1d54a05d18ec
Travel and border restrictions of PNG to be relaxed from October
According to news reported by PACNEWS on 17 September, Overseas travel restrictions are expected to be relaxed from next month, and the borders opened up to boost tourism and the economy in general, says Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape.
“We will start relaxing some travel restrictions (on) testing, clearance and quarantine, so that we can open up our economy again,” he said. “The New Normal will also be revisited.”
Marape particularly wants to see more tourists coming to PNG to inject life into the industry which since the March Covid-19 state of emergency lockdown had been badly affected.
Most of the people visiting the country now are for business purposes only.
Domestic travel restrictions have already been lifted allowing people to move around more. Airlines have resumed flights to most airports around the country. Restrictions on international travel have largely remained, with everyone arriving into Jackson airport required to observe a 14-day quarantine in Port Moresby.
Marape reassured the people that things would get better and encouraged citizens to abide by the new normal requirements.
“Our (Covid-19) statistics are not bad. We have 516 cases (so far) and six deaths. From the 516, 301 cases are in the National Capital District,” he said.
To date, cases have been reported from 13 provinces in the country: NCD (301); Western Province (189); Central (7); Morobe (5); East Sepik (3); East New Britain (2); West New Britain (2); Milne Bay (2); and one case each from Southern Highlands, Eastern Highlands, West Sepik, New Ireland and Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
In the past week:
-
15 September: 5 new cases (4 from Western and 1 from NCD) bringing the total number to 516.
-
13 September: 1 new case from NCD bringing the total number to 511.
-
12 September: 2 new cases from NCD and 1 death, bringing the total confirmed cases to 510, total deaths to 6.
-
11 September: 1 new case from NCD bringing the total number to 508.
SOURCE: PNG Government
http://www.pina.com.fj/index.php?p=pacnews&m=read&o=21123546465f62f202b854eef0fd87
PNG records five new cases
https://covid19.info.gov.pg/index.php/2020/09/16/png-records-five-new-cases-in-the-last-24-hours/
PNG reports one new COVID-19 case in NCD
https://covid19.info.gov.pg/index.php/2020/09/14/png-reports-one-new-covid-19-case-in-ncd/
PNG records 6th COVID-19 death and two new cases
https://covid19.info.gov.pg/index.php/2020/09/13/png-records-6th-covid-19-death-and-two-new-cases/
NCD records one new case bringing total PNG COVID-19 cases to 508
Solomon Islands PM announces six more students test positive for COVID-19 in Philippines
According to news reported by Solomon Star on 16 September, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has announced that six more COVID-19 tests of our students in the Philippines have returned positive.
The six are from the 144 students who were scheduled for the second repatriation flight listed for 29 September that has undergone their first of three tests on 13 September, and the results were received by the oversight committee on 15 September.
“This brings to 12, the total number of our students that had tested positive for Covid-19. As with the first group of students, none of the six students had shown signs of illness,” he said.
“From tomorrow(17 September), we hope to shift all our students who tested negative to the two hotels that have been identified. The transfers will be guided by risk assessment from our health team and the Philippine Red Cross, The hotels will only cater for the students until their departure,” he said.
...
SOURCE: Solomon Star
Relevant articles：
Recent Arrivals from China Released on 16 September
https://www.solomontimes.com/news/recent-arrivals-from-china-released-yesterday/10221
104 arrived last night
https://www.solomonstarnews.com/index.php/news/national/item/24091-104-arrived-last-night
French Polynesia suffers first Covid-19 death
According to news reported by Fiji Times on 11 September person has died of Covid-19 in French Polynesia.
The president Edouard Fritch announced the first fatality of the pandemic in a public condolence message.
Media reports said the person was an elderly woman from a Papeete neighbourhood who was admitted to hospital a week ago.
The first outbreak between March and June affected 62 people and was brought under control with lockdown and border closures. Since the quarantine was lifted more than 1100 cases have been confirmed in the second outbreak.
Unions wanted quarantine requirements to be reintroduced, but both the government and the French High Commission ruled them out and also decided against another general lockdown.
SOURCE: Fiji Times
https://www.fijitimes.com/french-polynesia-suffers-first-covid-19-death/
French Polynesia Presidence: The Ministry of Health took stock of COVID-19 as of September 14
https://www.presidence.pf/point-de-situation-sur-le-coronavirus-au-2-septembre-2-2-2-2/