COVID-19 outbreak

China reports huge rise in COVID-related deaths after data criticism

Key points:

  • China had previously reported just over 5,000 deaths since the pandemic began
  • The WHO had said earlier this week said that China was heavily under-reporting deaths from the virus
  • Authorities had been reporting five or fewer deaths a day over the past month

In early December, Beijing abruptly dismantled its strict three-year anti-virus regime of frequent testing, travel curbs and mass lockdowns after widespread protests in late November, and cases have surged since then across the nation of 1.4 billion.

Antarctic outpost hit by Covid-19 outbreak

Since 14 December, at least 16 of the 25 workers at the Princess Elisabeth Polar Station have caught the virus.

Officials say cases remain mild so far.

"The situation isn't dramatic," Joseph Cheek, a project manager for the International Polar Foundation, told the BBC.

"While it has been an inconvenience to have to quarantine certain members of the staff who caught the virus, it hasn't significantly affected our work at the station overall," Cheek said.

Spike In Lifeline Services

According to a brief report from the 1-Tok Kauselin Helpim Lain, the national helpline reported a 75 percent spike in demand during April 2020 to March 2021 compared to calls before COVID (2019 to March 2020).

The 1-Tok Kaunselin Helpim Lain (Helpline) (715-08000) is a free, confidential phone counselling service providing information and support for anyone in PNG experiencing family violence or sexual violence issues and is supported by ChildFund PNG, Since 2017.

All medical personnel in New Caledonia urged to help with COVID-19 outbreak

Sixty-six cases have been recorded since the community outbreak was first detected on Monday and a lockdown has been in place since Tuesday.

There are seven people in intensive care with two in a serious condition.

The positive COVID cases range in age from 20 to 80 and while some are in Noumea hospital, others are in hotels set aside for quarantine.

The virus has been detected across the main island and in the Loyalty Islands, in particular in Lifou.

So far about a dozen clusters have been identified, with contacts being asked to isolate and get tested.

Big surge of COVID-19 cases in French Polynesia

Officials reported 2164 new cases and 13 deaths in the 24 hours to 8am Wednesday (local time).

There are 294 people currently in hospital, including 38 people in intensive care.

The territory now has 7213 active cases.

Since the start of the pandemic 32,705 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in French Polynesia and 224 people have died.

The vast majority occurred after the borders re-opened to tourism in July last year, but the Delta variant is responsible for the latest surge.

New Zealand COVID-19 outbreak traced to NSW

Jacinda Ardern said that genome sequencing has detected the Delta strain, and that it originated in NSW.

"We are dealing with the Delta variant ... our case has originated in Australia."

"Now the job is to work out how and when it got here,” Ms Ardern said.

The NZ Government will examine whether the positive case leaked from one of the country's managed isolation facilities

New Zealand has detected an additional two COVID cases, bringing the total in the current outbreak to seven.