Monthly Archives: March 2020
Acting selfishly has consequences – ethical decisions amid virus crisis
ANALYSIS: By Hugh Breakey of Griffith University
As Australia and New Zealand move into lockdown mode in response to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, we are...
NZ prepares for unprecedented virus lockdown – 36 new Covid-19 cases
By RNZ News
New Zealanders are preparing to go into an unprecedented lockdown period at midnight on Wednesday to stem the spread of the Covid-19...
State must fund urgent Filipino health, social needs now, say economists
Week one of the wide-ranging quarantine measures in the Philippines has already rattled medical frontliners, law enforcers, national and local government authorities and economic...
36 new cases of Covid-19 in NZ, taking infected total to 102
By RNZ News
New Zealand's Ministry of Health (MoH) has revealed there are 36 new cases of Covid-19 in the country, taking the total to...
NZ’s homeless particularly vulnerable during Covid-19 pandemic
By Eva Corlett of RNZ
As more cases of Covid-19 arise, New Zealanders are being cautioned to work from home or stay home if sick...
PNG orders lockdown from tomorrow as Covid-19 response ramps up
By RNZ Pacific
Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape has declared a national state of emergency and warned the public to prepare for a...
Free speech? No it’s about bigots who seek the right to hate with impunity
Professor Paul Spoonley spoke about hate speech, political discourse and religious diversity in the wake of the 15 March 2019 Mosque Massacre in a...
Guam confirms Pacific’s first Covid-19 death, NZ infections top 66
By Sri Krishnamurthi
Guam's government has confirmed a 68-year-old woman died of Covid-19 early today - the first coronavirus-related death in the Pacific.
Dr Mike Cruz,...
First coronavirus death on Guam as Pacific Daily News calls for more info
By Anumita Kaur in Hagåtña
Guam medical authorities have announced the first Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic-related death during a press conference today.
The person died at...
Why New Zealand needs to continue decisive action to contain coronavirus
ANALYSIS: By Michael Baker and Nick Wilson of the University of Otago
With some of the toughest border restrictions and a newly-announced NZ$500 million boost...
Timor-Leste health ministry urges calm over first positive Covid-19 case
By Robert Baird and Felicidade Ximenes in Dili
Timor-Leste’s Health Ministry has confirmed the country’s first positive Covid-19 case, after test results arrived back from...
New Caledonia Covid-19 cases double to four
By RNZ Pacific
New Caledonia has recorded another two cases of Covid-19 coronavirus, bringing its total to four.
The authorities say the two have been transferred...
New Zealand moves into uncharted territory with Covid-19 coronavirus
By Jane Patterson, political editor of RNZ News
New Zealanders now have an alert system for Covid-19, giving people more certainty and clarity as the...
Confusion behind PNG’s first Covid-19 case – flawed state communications
ANALYSIS: By Jeremy Mogi in Port Moresby
And so it’s out. Papua New Guinea's first infection case. 2019 Novel Coronavirus. Covid-19.
In what is arguably the...
Marape confirms PNG’s first Covid-19 coronavirus case on live TV
By Theckla Gunga in Port Moresby
Papua New Guinea has reported its first confirmed Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic case.
The announcement, made last night live on television...
NZ’s coronavirus cases climb to 39 but ‘no evidence’ of community spread
By RNZ News
New Zealand faced another day today consumed by Covid-19 coronavirus developments.
The nation woke with the news that the country's borders had been...
Tonga, Samoa declare emergencies, shut borders over coronavirus
By Kalino Lātū,, editor of Kaniva Tonga
Prime Minister Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa announced today the Pacific kingdom of Tonga is now in a state of emergency,...
Pacific coronavirus: Cases jump to 26 across the region
By Sri Krishnamurthi
The total number of Covid-19 coronavirus cases in the Pacific region was today recorded at 26.
In Guam, tally has risen by 4...
Coronavirus: 5 ways to manage your news consumption in times of crisis
ANALYSIS: By Mark Pearson of Griffith University
Thousands of employees internationally are already working from home in COVID-19 self-isolation because of their recent travel, related...
NZ closes its borders to anyone not a citizen or permanent resident
By RNZ News
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed that the New Zealand border will be closed to anyone who is not a New Zealand...
Drama and panic as PNG government blunders through first Covid-19 crisis
By EMTV News
A day of intense drama officially ended in Papua New Guinea just before 9pm yesterday when Prime Minister James Marape casually announced...
Bainimarama announces tougher bans in Fiji after first Covid-19 case
Pacific Media Watch
Fiji Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama today confirmed that Fiji is putting into place a number of tighter measures following the first case...