COVID-19

Covid-19 spread in New Caledonia picks up pace

The authorities say there are now 2520 active cases in the community.

20 people are in hospital care of whom seven are in intensive care.

The surge in case numbers follows the arrival of the Omicron variant this month and has prompted calls for more testing centres to open as more people show symptoms.

Rapid antigen tests with health professionals are free until at least the end of the month.

Selftests can be bought in pharmacies but their results aren't recognised to be able to get a health pass.

Fiji will not lift Covid-19 restrictions - MOH

This comes amid 16 deaths and close to 350 new cases reported in the community last weekend.

Fiji's Health Secretary Dr James Fong says the spike in cases was experienced after a few health measures were relaxed in November last year.

"Our biggest worry remains compliance to the informal setting, especially among the informal dwellings where we may have some problem with providing oversight over the Covid-safe measures.

"They remain the most significant areas of risk and the most significant areas of transmission that can happen," Dr Fong said

Crusaders move pre-season game from Blenheim to Christchurch in red setting

Crusaders chief executive Colin Mansbridge confirmed on Monday morning that the match, originally scheduled for Blenheim’s Lansdowne Park on February 11, will be played “behind closed doors’’ in Christchurch.

Mansbridge said the “substantial cost of delivering this fixture at a regional venue, paired with the current Omicron situation in New Zealand and the country’s move overnight to the red traffic light setting, means hosting the fixture at its current venue is now untenable”.

Over 200 teachers in Fiji test positive for Covid-19

The Ministry of Education confirmed that the teachers are from Kindergarten, Primary and Secondary schools.

Education Minister, Premila Kumar said some students have been trained to become Covid monitors.

This is a support system created in schools by the Ministry.

Kumar said the students will be supporting teachers in monitoring the health of their classmates and ensuring a safe environment for learning.

Tearful Adele postpones entire Las Vegas residency

"Half my team have Covid and it's been impossible to finish the show," she said, adding that "delivery delays" had also played havoc with her plans.

She was due to play the first of 24 planned shows at the Caesars Palace's Colosseum on Friday, 21 January.

Announced late in November, the Weekends With Adele series was scheduled to have the singer performing two shows every weekend until April.

Tickets ranged from $85 (£60) to $685 (£500), and Adele was forecast to make more than £500,000 per show.

     

Covid numbers soar in Solomons

It takes to 81 the number of cases in the country, which until this week had had just a handful of people with the virus.

The cases are spread throughout the country with Ontong Java and parts of Guadalcanal in lockdown.

The outbreak began with the illegal entry of a vessel from Papua New Guinea to Ontong Java last week.

That vessel delivered at least 23 cases of Covid-19.

The virus has since spread to Guadalcanal, prompting a lockdown in Honiara that is due to finish tomorrow morning.

Victoria reports rise in hospitalisations, teen among deaths in Queensland

Of the patients in hospital, there are 122 in intensive care, 40 of whom are receiving ventilation.

The state has officially recorded 21,966 new Covid-19 infections, but the true number of new cases in the community could be much higher.

About half of the state's cases have been diagnosed using RATs, with yesterday's tally reported from 11,693 PCR results and 10,273 rapid testing kits.

Considering these figures, Premier Daniel Andrews said it was clear Covid-19 was prevalent in Victoria.

Fiji records over 300 new Covid-19 cases

The Ministry of Health confirmed that there are 659 new cases of which 312 new cases were recorded on Tuesday and 347 new cases yesterday.

Meanwhile, there have been six deaths recorded as well from the virus.

MOH’s Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong said due to the protection afforded by the vaccination programme, the reported deaths have been much less compared to the previous wave.

Covid-19: NSW patients in intensive care passes 200

A total of 203 people are in intensive care units (ICU) around the state, up from 191 the previous day.

It is the first time more than 200 people with Covid have been admitted to intensive care in NSW.

Meanwhile, the number of people in hospital with the virus rose to 2776 in the 24 hours to 8pm yesterday.

There were 17 deaths and 29,504 new infections in the reporting period.

The new positive cases comprised 11,858 rapid antigent tests and 17,646 PCR tests.

Fiji reports shortage of Covid-19 booster doses

The Ministry of Health’s Permanent Secretary, Doctor James Fong said 142, 240 people are due to receive the booster dose this month, but the current stocks of the Moderna vaccine, which is being used as the booster dose, are in excess of 100,000 doses.

Dr Fong reassured that they are expecting more of the Pfizer vaccine by the middle of this month.

Since administering the booster jab, 39,179 people in Fiji have so far received their dose.

Meanwhile, the vaccination campaign also continues around the country.