Repatriation flight

Discussions are underway between Nauru's Covid-19 Taskforce and its national carrier on repatriating Nauruans from Fiji and Taiwan.

Nauru president Lionel Aingimea says the Covid crisis in Fiji is a concern, given the highly-infectious Delta strain of the virus circulating in the communities.

There are over 200 Nauruans in Fiji, five are fully vaccinated, 95 have had their first AstraZeneca dose, and 23 are unvaccinated.

But 100 of them are ineligible because they are under 18 years of age and are not recommended to get the jab.

The government said 80 people arrived in Darwin on Saturday, and would be quarantined for a fortnight.

Their Qantas flight was originally scheduled to carry 150 people onboard.

But 70 passengers were later barred from travel after testing positive for coronavirus or coming into close contact with others who were.

Australia's strict rules on pre-flight testing meant there was not enough time for the seats to be given to others waiting to return.

The government's controversial ban, which made it an offence for people to try and re-enter Australia after being in India within the prior 14 days, began on Monday and was due to finish on 15 May.

Morrison said the National Security Committee met yesterday and agreed it saw "no need to extend it beyond that date".

"The original decision to put in place that biosecurity order until the 15th of May has proved very effective and it will run its full course until that time without any change," he said.

According to the taskforce, the date is tentative and subject to change.

If you would like to make a reservation or need further information about this repatriation flight, please call 5573355 or email cccteamnru@gmail.com

Nauru has remained COVID-19 free since the global pandemic was announced in March last year.  

Photo file    

The trip is expected to be one of the happiest for the islanders who set sail from Samoa on Wednesday and are relieved they will be home for Christmas.

The group had arrived in Apia on a repatriation flight from New Zealand on 13 November.

But they had to spend an extra week in isolation in Samoa on top of the required 14 days after a passenger on the same flight tested positive for Covid-19.

Some of the 33 people who are undergoing yet another 14 days quarantine on their home atolls of Fakaofo and Nukunonu have been stuck in New Zealand since March.

The flight was repatriating Indians stranded by the coronavirus crisis.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "pained by the plane accident".

The rescue operation at the crash site has now been completed and survivors have been taken to hospitals in Calicut and Malappuram, according to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Dozens of people were injured, 15 of them seriously, a senior police officer said.

Air India Express said the two pilots were among the dead.