Infection figures remain low for the Pacific, but they have more than doubled since last week. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported 215 positive cases in the Pacific, excluding Australia and New Zealand. Northern Marianas Islands have reported two more cases “under investigation”. Two people have died there.

A ray of hope: Fiji, French Polynesia and New Caledonia are reported to have only “sporadic cases”. The growth rate of the virus remains quite low after the initial rise. However, if containment efforts should fail, these numbers could rise rapidly.

At a virtual meeting convened on 7 April, the foreign ministers of the Pacific Islands Forum agreed to establish the Pacific Humanitarian Pathway for the Pacific (PHP-C). This comes after the forum invoked the Biketawa Declaration – the mechanism by which regional responses to security issues are initiated by the region’s political leadership. This has been in place since 2000. The PHP-C provides political commitment to the movement of humanitarian and medical assistance to countries affected by Covid-19, particularly where normal transport routes have been impeded by border closures.

What has happened this week?

What are Pacific governments doing?

Papua New Guinea: The government has opened a Covid-19 treatment centre in Port Moresby, which can cater for up to 76 patients. Traditional border crossings (into and from Indonesia, Australia, the Federated States of Micronesia, and Solomon Islands) have been forbidden. The military has been deployed to patrol in some places, especially along the Indonesia border. More than 300 people have registered their interest in being repatriated from around the world

Fiji: Specialised military vehicles received from China will be used in the fight against Covid-19. The government has allowed for repatriation flights from the US and Australia. Returnees will be required to undergo 14 days of strict quarantine on arrival

Solomon Islands: Parliament has voted for a four-month state of emergency covering Honiara. Dr Claude Posala who is chair of the Solomon Islands Medical Association, was sacked after taking to Facebook to criticise the government response to Covid-19. The government has closed its maritime border with Bougainville and imposed a two-night curfew over the Easter weekend

Vanuatu: Authorities are maintaining strict protocols for receipt of medical and other humanitarian assistance to minimise risks of introducing the virus. This includes sanitisation of supplies received and keeping any accompanying personnel airside. The government has determined that no foreign personnel will be allowed to enter Vanuatu to assist with the humanitarian response to cyclone Harold.

New Caledonia: Restrictions on travel and public gatherings have been extended until 19 April. The customary Senate has called for restrictions to be imposed for longer and wants all weddings this year cancelled. But the provincial president of the Loyalty Islands says the restrictions should be relaxed in his province. Repatriation flights continue, including from Japan and French Polynesia.

Samoa: The prime minister has indicated he has no intention of re-opening borders. The government has announced an economic stimulus package with focus on supporting tourism. The Samoa Hotels Association says 50 hotels have closed and 500 workers have been laid off, with more job losses expected.

Marshall Islands: The government has sought to quell community concerns about proposed and rumoured arrivals by sea and air. The Nitijela was reconvened for an emergency two-day session which included a lengthy briefing from the national disaster committee. An economic impact committee has been established to assess the impact of the shutdowns in various sectors including tourism, hospitality and aquaculture.

Federated States of Micronesia: President David Panuelo has announced a $15m economic stimulus package, with a focus on wage subsidies.

French Polynesia: President Édouard Fritch has advised citizens and residents who are stranded overseas, including in France, that there are no plans to facilitate their repatriation.

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands: The government has announced that the public service will be cut in half as a result of a Covid-19 related economic collapse.

Australia and New Zealand

Australia has recorded a total of 6,360 infections of which 2,805 are classed as active. There have been 61 deaths. In New Zealand there have been 1,064 confirmed cases with five deaths.

Fake news

Fears over a bogus link between 5G technologies and Covid-19 transmission have popped up across the Pacific. While most rumours have been roundly debunked, the concerns remain that they might take hold and further hamper response and recovery efforts.

What did they say?

Solomon Islands needs all the qualified professionals it has in the country to be harnessed to the fight against Covid-19

- Matthew Wale, leader of the opposition calling for the reinstatement of Dr Claude Posala

Good news

Across the region, containment efforts appear to be largely successful, with the rate of increase in new cases slowing significantly in the past week. It may be that island nations with their small populations and tightly knit communities are more able to identify and isolate suspect cases before they spread. In any case, with the exception of Guam, the Pacific Islands region appears to be successful in buying time to improve its own readiness. Countries are using the time to bring in stocks of respirators and masks and set up testing facilities. Few Pacific nations operate under any illusion about the potential impact of widespread transmission in their extremely vulnerable populations.

Tess Newton Cain is a Pacific analyst and writer. Dan McGarry is an independent journalist living in Vanuatu.

Infection and fatality figures are valid as of 13 April . They are based on WHO daily situation reports, and supplemented in some cases by national government updates.



