Pacific Islands

Cyclone Harold, the most powerful storm in the Pacific in at least two years, has made landfall on the Vanuatu island of Santo, with winds gusting as high as 235km/h.

Dozens of people are reportedly missing at sea in Solomon Islands after a passenger ferry ignored maritime warnings and embarked on an island crossing during Cyclone Harold.

The Solomon Islands government has extended a school closure notice, previously only for institutions in the capital Honiara and Guadalcanal, to the rest of the country.

There has been another confirmed Covid-19 infection in French Polynesia, raising the total to 35.

It’s the first recorded death from COVID-19 in the Papua region and adds to fears that a looming surge in cases could overwhelm the health system on both sides of New Guinea.

The Australian High Commission in Solomon Islands has issued a notice advising any Australian intending to return home that today will be the last commercial Solomon Airlines flight to Brisbane for a while.

Samoa is now officially on lock down.

In its meeting on Tuesday this week, the Council of Ministers (COM) has agreed for the government to declare a State of Emergency (SOE) due to coronavirus.

Pacific countries continue to take proactive measures to control the spread of Covid-19 coronavirus in the region, amid the global pandemic.

Police in Samoa say they have captured one more prison escapee with 15 of around 29 who staged a mass breakout from the Tanumalala prison last night still at large.

Tonga has closed its borders to flights and cruise ships this morning in response to the global coronavirus pandemic.

Vanuatu’s southern-most island Aneityum is under lockdown after a tourist who visited was tested positive.