Guam

Guam confirms Pacific's first Covid-19 death

Dr Mike Cruz, the government official leading the coronavirus response, said the woman was a relative of a person who recently returned to the territory with Covid-19.

He said the woman had "multiple co-morbidities", including end-stage renal disease, which compromised her immune system.

Dr Cruz said there are 15 confirmed cases of the virus on Guam, with the government on Sunday morning declaring a major disaster.

Two more coronavirus cases confirmed in Guam

Guam's health department has tested dozens of people since the first cases on the island were confirmed on Sunday night.

Tuesday's cases include a relative of one of those confirmed to have the virus on Sunday, and another person who recently travelled to the Philippines.

All five confirmed cases are in isolation.

Suspected cases

The Marshall Islands and Federated States of Micronesia say they both have one person each under investigation for Covid-19.

Stricter measures introduced in Guam, Cook Islands

Countries around the Pacific are continuing to further isolate themselves in a bid to stave off a rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in the region.

Six cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in the Pacific - three in Guam and three in French Polynesia - since Thursday. No new cases were declared on Monday.

After three residents were confirmed to have Covid-19 on Sunday, Guam's government restricted public gatherings and closed all public schools on Monday. It also closed government offices for two weeks.

Covid-19: Three cases confirmed on Guam, emergency declared

Governor Lou Leon Guerrero has declared a state of public health emergency in the US territory, which is also a hub for travel in the North Pacific.

"All three confirmed cases are currently in isolation," Ms Guerrero said in a statement.

"Preliminary investigation has indicated that all three had travel connections - two recently travelled to the Philippines and the third had a family member who recently returned from Japan."

The two who travelled from the Philippines were on a United Airlines flight from Manila on 2 March.

Guam and CNMI prepare for Typhoon Mangkhut

Schools and universities in the two US territories will be closed today as the storm approaches.

Forecasters say on the current trajectory it will make a direct hit on northern Guam and CNMI's Rota island.

The CNMI Governor Ralph Torres has raised the alert for the typhoon to condition 2.

Typhoon Mangkhut is forecast to bring destructive winds of 74 miles per hour or more possible within the next 24 hours.

Mr Torres has activated essential government agencies like the police, hospital, airports, and seaports.

Haze from Hawai'i's Kilauea reaches Micronesia again

The National Weather Service says the volcanic haze is expected to linger across the region for much of the week.

It says it will decrease periodically due to developing showers but the Easterly tradewinds will continue to funnel the haze towards the Micronesian islands and reduce visibility there.

The service says while the haze is not expected to cause widespread health problems, if people suffer from respiratory health issues then they should limit outdoor activities.

The blue-grey haze first impacted the island in May before dissipating.

   

Guam praises US-North Korea deal

After a summit in Singapore on Tuesday, the two leaders signed an agreement to work towards the "complete denuclearisation" of the Korean Peninsula although observers say it is short on detail.

Mr Calvo said the agreement will end years of instability in Korea and the Pacific region.

He said the people of Guam have experienced suffering and death during World War Two and were the target of North Korean missile threats in 2013 and last year.

He said the promise of peace in the region was closer and said Guam's thankful for the president's stance.

Volcanic haze from Hawaii reaches CNMI and Guam

The National Weather Service in Guam says residents should continue to monitor information from their service as well as the local emergency management offices.

It says people with respiratory health problems should minimise time outdoors when the haze is evident.

Mariners and pilots have also been warned to be aware of the slightly lower visibility.

Satellite imagery shows a dense plume of haze spanning the central Pacific that becomes more diffused closer to the Marianas.

The haze is being carried along by the east-northeast trade winds.

 

Suspended Guam Archbishop found guilty of sexual abuse

The Catholic Church on the island has been consumed by a child sex abuse scandal that went right to the top of the church's hierarchy: Archbishop Anthony Apuron.

Apuron was accused of assaulting altar boys when he was a parish priest on Guam in the 1970s.

When the allegations first surfaced in June 2016, Pope Francis suspended Apuron and put his before a secretive Vatican procedure.

In its ruling issued overnight, the Apostolic Tribunal stripped Apuron of office and prohibited him from returning to Guam.

Nutritionist urges people of Guam to choose fresh local products

The recent Diabetes Conference revealed that Guam's pre-diabetes rates are up around 17 per cent for 2017.

Ronald Laguana attended the Pacific Nutrition meeting run by the Pacific Community last week and blames products imported from the U.S. for the alarming statistic.

Mr Laguana said he is part of a community gardens group that helps educate people on a healthy diet and lifestyle.