Coronavirus

The FMA claims ANZ made false and misleading claims.

The authority said the bank issued duplicate policies to some customers which provided no additional benefits and failed to cancel policies for ineligible customers, while continuing to charge them.

It said the bank contravened the Financial Markets Conduct Act and it is seeking penalties and costs against the bank.

ANZ first notified the regulator about both issues in June 2019, but the FMA said the bank had first identified the problems in 2017 and 2018.

This was revealed by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in a national address on Friday.

Mr Sogavare said the country's newly established testing facilities have the potential to carry out more than 3000 tests although the current capacity is at around 500.

He said so far four people who displayed symptoms of COVID-19 have been tested locally.

"Therefore, we have undertaken a total of 17 COVID-19 tests altogether, 13 done overseas and four done in country. All results, negative," Mr Sogavare said.

The Regional Director for Environment Programs at The Asia Foundation, Kim DeRidder, says with humans indoors, deer and monkeys are venturing out to explore Asia’s now empty urban jungles, songbirds are heard in cities and great leatherback turtles are laying eggs on Phuket beaches in record numbers.

“But is COVID-19 really a boon for the environment?  The jury is still out. While greenhouse gas emissions are significantly down, both China and the United States are already relaxing emission controls to ease economic pressures,” DeRidder states.

The global body said new information showed they could provide "a barrier for potentially infectious droplets".

Some countries around the world already recommend or mandate the wearing of face coverings in public.

The WHO had previously argued there was not enough evidence to say that healthy people should wear masks.

Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's technical lead expert on Covid-19, told Reuters news agency the recommendation was for people to wear a "fabric mask - that is, a non-medical mask".

Some Pacific countries are considering opening borders for repatriation and commercial flights.

The Ministry notes that requests for COVID-19 testing and quarantine for Pacific residents such as regional seasonal employment workers are being received by some District Health Boards and primary care providers.

The Ministry says it's working to ensure there's a consistent approach nationally that considers the risk of coronavirus as well as the health and welfare of Pacific peoples looking to return home.

Bainimarama shared on his official twitter account that although Fiji’s testing numbers are climbing by the day, it’s now been 45 days since the country recorded its last case of coronavirus.

He adds that there have been no COVID-19 deaths and Fiji has recorded a 100% recovery rate through answered prayers, hard work, and affirmation of science.

FBC reports the Prime Minister is expected to make an official announcement later today.

The health ministry said 3,574 new Covid-19 infections were recorded on Wednesday - the third consecutive day the figure has exceeded 3,000.

Another 59 people with the disease died, raising the toll to 8,071.

The president has said restrictions may be re-imposed if people do not follow social distancing and hygiene rules.

Before Wednesday's new infections were reported, bringing the overall total to 164,270, the previous high was 3,186 on 30 March. The number of cases then declined steadily until 2 May, when 802 were recorded.

This vital Forum initiative ensures the passage of humanitarian and medical supplies within the Pacific as we work together to mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Simon Kofe, Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum Foreign Ministers, welcomed the initiative and said: “Australia’s support will ensure that the Pacific Humanitarian Pathway will be able to deliver much needed humanitarian and medical supplies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through its actions, Australia is working to achieve values of familial ties and care for neighbour’s key throughout the Pacific.”

Medical teams at the Hospital del Mar in Barcelona have been photographed wheeling people to the beach as part of a programme designed to humanise intensive care units.

In total, Spain has confirmed 239,932 infections and 27,127 deaths.

The government has slowly begun to ease what was one of Europe's most restrictive lockdowns.

At one point people could not go out to exercise and children were not allowed to leave their homes for any reason.

But Spain has brought its outbreak under control in recent weeks.

The first repatriation flight was on Tuesday.

According to President, Lionel Aingimea, the second flight is scheduled for Friday to allow those currently in quarantine at the Meneñ Hotel to have their lab tests finalised and the rooms vacated, cleaned and disinfected for the new arrivals from Fiji.

About 140 passengers are expected for both flights.

President Aingimea said, Government-sponsored students were being accommodated at the homes of Nauru High Commission staff in Suva as they waited for the confirmation of the charter flights.