Fiji

Air NZ's first commercial flight to Fiji amid the Covid-19 pandemic arrived in Nadi last week.

Chris Chand, of Fiji Airports, said the flight from Auckland carried repatriated Fijians and tourists.

With New Zealand's borders closed to Fiji, customer loads have been understandably quite low, the airline said in a statement.

"We have been operating one return Nadi flight per week through the pandemic which has been mostly cargo into Nadi," he said.

Part of their qualification criteria for the event in Birmingham next year, athletes must have participated in credible regional or international events in the last two years.

But the organisation admitted in September that financial constraints and the impact of the pandemic would likely affect their preparations for the Games.

FASANOC chief executive Lorraine Mar said due to travel restrictions, badminton, cycling and squash have not been able to train nor travel overseas for training and competition.

The pair travelled to Fiji from Nigeria on November 25.

They both tested positive to Covid-19 while in a border quarantine facility.

Health Secretary James Fong said last night their samples were sent to a reference laboratory in Australia for urgent genomic sequencing.

Dr Fong said both travellers' results were confirmed positive for the Omicron variant.

Just as they did last week, France struck first with a try after taking advantage of a Fiji loose pass.

Fijian forward Joseva Talacolo registered his country's first points racing away for an unconverted try from the restart.

France had most of the possession in the first half and tried to break the Fijian defense.

Fiji's defensive effort paid off when they turned the ball over at a break down before Filipe Sauturaga ran in for their second try.

Health Secretary Dr James Fong confirmed the cases of interest were Fijian nationals returning from Africa.

"In Fiji, we currently have Covid-positive travellers in quarantine who arrived in the country from African states before we knew about Omicron.

"They have been quarantined in line with the stringent measures we apply to countries we consider a red zone for ongoing viral spread. Their specimens will be forwarded this week overseas for genetic sequencing."

Welcome Home to Fiji which is 'Open For Happiness'. That is the message Tourism Fiji and its stakeholders are selling to holiday makers in its Travel Partner Countries.

There are four flights into Fiji, 2 from Sydney, one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. A flight from Melbourne will arrive get in just after midnight and a large flight from Los Angeles early on December 2.

Despite fears the new Covid-19 variant Omicron has spread into the community in New South Wales where the first flight of tourists come from, Fiji said it is ready to receive visitors.

The decision was made following the authorization of the use of Moderna vaccine for booster doses in more than 30 countries including the United States, the UK, Israel, Singapore, and France.

The Health Ministry said they want to ensure full protection against Covid-19 for those who will deal directly with incoming travellers when the borders reopen tomorrow.

The booster is also for those who will be at high risk of severe disease when exposed to the virus.

Ratu Inoke is joined by Ali’ioaiga Feturi Elisaia, High Commissioner of Samoa to Fiji.

The Committee will be supported by the Forum Secretary General, Henry Puna, and staff of the Fiji Government and Forum Secretariat.

The committee was deployed by the Pacific Islands Forum to observe New Caledonia’s third and final independence referendum under the 1998 Noumea Accord on December 12.

Both cases are from villages in the Serua/Namosi provinces, just outside the capital Suva.

The Health Ministry said on Friday a child was presented to the Korovisilou Health Centre on November 17th.

The child was then transferred to the Colonial War Memorial Hospital.

Tests carried out by the Centre of Communicable Disease confirmed it was measles.

Both patients and their families are in isolation.

The Ministry of Health’s Permanent Secretary, Doctor James Fong said the baby was referred to the Vunidawa Hospital about 50km out of Suva late last month with acute history of cough and fast breathing.

Dr Fong said the baby was then taken to the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva where he was tested positive for Covid-19 and died two days after admission.

Fiji’s Covid-19 death toll now stands at 695.