Monthly Archives: August 2020
NZ’s Auckland lockdown to continue for 12 more days, says Ardern
By RNZ News
Auckland will remain in alert level three for a full two weeks, with the New Zealand government announcing that the country will...
NZ covid-19 update: 12 new confirmed cases, one probable
By RNZ News
New Zealand has announced there are 12 new cases and one probable case of covid-19 in Auckland and Waikato today.
Director-General of Health...
‘Don’t risk our lives’ over covid, warns opposition Cook Islands Democrats
By Katrina Tanirau in Avarua
Some Cook Islanders are expressing anger at the failure to implement stronger border control public health measures in response to...
Barbara Dreaver: Should we identify the first covid family as Pasifika? Yes we should,...
By Barbara Dreaver, 1 NEWS Pacific correspondent
Pasifika family or just an Auckland family?
There has been much debate over whether it was wrong to identify...
NZ’s lack of covid testing of staff at border ‘extraordinary’, says Skegg
By RNZ News
The lack of testing of staff at New Zealand's border is extraordinary, a prominent epidemiologist says.
Health officials are frantically trying to trace...
Voting is an essential service too. Why NZ can’t be afraid to go to...
By Grant Duncan, Massey University
If New Zealand can do grocery shopping under lockdown, we can vote under lockdown too.
As much as supermarkets and pharmacies,...
50 French police who have returned from Polynesia test covid positive
Pacific Media Centre Newsdesk
French authorities say 50 gendarmes who had been deployed in French Polynesia have tested positive to covid-19 after their return to...
NZ covid-19 update: More coronavirus cases linked to Auckland cluster
By RNZ News
New Zealand Health Minister Chris Hipkins says there are more covid-19 cases related to the Auckland cluster which will be revealed at...
Covid spread could ‘decimate’ Pasifika, Māori communities, warns Tukuitonga
By Sri Krishnamurthi of Pacific Media Watch
Pacific health specialist Dr Collin Tukuitonga is worried that the latest community transmission of covid-19 in Aotearoa New...
NZ covid-19 update: 13 new cases in community, one in managed isolation
By RNZ News
New Zealand has 13 new cases of covid-19 in the community in Auckland today and one in managed isolation.
Director-General of Health Dr...
Assassinated Filipino activist Echanis’ widow demands release of his body
Widow Erlinda Echanis demands the release of the body of her husband, assassinated peace activist Randall "Randy" Echanis. Video: Rappler
By Rambo Talabong in Manila
After...
Facebook criticised for pulling article with West Papuan pic
By RNZ Pacific
Facebook has been urged by media freedom advocates to restore an article it pulled ostensibly because the piece violated its rules on...
Bus driver tells of masks resistance as PNG announces record covid cases
By Patricia Kamo in Port Moresby
A bus driver in Papua New Guinea's capital Port Moresby says it is hard to force passengers to wear...
Robertson rejects National suggestion for PM to ‘step back’ over covid calls
By RNZ News
Senior Labour MP Grant Robertson has rejected opposition National's suggestion that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern step back from announcements on covid-19 alert...
RSF calls on Facebook to restore censored Papua press freedom article
Pacific Media Watch Newsdesk
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called on Facebook to restore an article that was censored for violating its rules on nudity...
One new confirmed isolation case, four probables linked to Pacific family alert
By RNZ News
QR app codes are now mandatory for New Zealand businesses and services, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Director-General of Health Dr Ashley...
Jakarta asks Papuan rights lawyer Koman to return scholarship money
Pacific Media Centre Newsdesk
Human rights activist and lawyer Veronica Koman says the Indonesian government has asked her to return scholarship money amounting to 773...
Bougainvilleans go to polls today in spite of first covid-19 case
By The Bougainvillean
Bougainville is heading to the polls today amid its first case of the covid-19 in the
fourth general election of Papua New Guinea’s...
Hundreds call busy NZ healthline over new lockdown, emergency text resent
By RNZ News
People calling New Zealand's covid-19 healthline were facing long waits on hold today as the phone line struggles with high demand as...
Four new covid cases push NZ into three-day resurgence plan
By RNZ News
Four positive cases of covid-19 outside of managed isolation or quarantine have been reported and New Zealand has activated a resurgence plan.
After...
One new NZ case of covid in isolation as Bloomfield says he will try...
By RNZ News
New Zealand has reported one new case of covid-19 in managed isolation today, the Ministry of Health has confirmed.
Director-General of Health Dr...
Guam’s first family hit by covid – governor’s son tells his story
Pacific Media Centre Newsdesk
As Guam's health statistics continue to mount, covid-19 has hit the first family, reports the Pacific Island Times.
Following Governor Lou Leon...