Wallis and Futuna

75 travellers arrived in Wallis after spending seven days in pre-departure quarantine in Noumea and returning negative tests.

After their arrival, they were in home isolation for three days after which a further test was carried out when a Futuna resident was found to have Covid-19.

The public broadcaster said the individual has been transferred to hospital.

The territory lost its only external airlink in September when New Caledonia went into lockdown over a fresh Covid-19 community outbreak.

The infected individual, who is asymptomatic, arrived in the territory from France on 16 November.

The person tested positive while in quarantine and has now been transferred to the hospital's isolation ward.

People arriving in Wallis and Futuna undergo two Covid-19 tests before leaving quarantine.

The first test is done seven days after they arrive and the second is done the day before they leave quarantine.

The latest case was diagnosed after the first such test.

The territory's public broadcaster said about 300 pigs were prepared for the celebration in Vaisei on Futuna which marked the completion of the building the church.

However, there were too many pigs.

The Works Department was brought in for the clean-up, using a digger to dispose of about 100 of the pigs.

The broadcaster says some people considered this a waste while others found the pigs were a gift given out of joy.

This was announced after talks with a visiting senior French government official Sebastien Lecornu who said Wallis and Futuna wants to be at the forefront.

Mr Lecornu, who is the secretary of state for technological transition, says 90 percent of electricity is being produced with fossil fuels but that will drop to 50 percent by 2030.

He says a new economic model will be drawn up in broad discussions to provide a development partnership between the state and private sides.

Photo: PHOTO NZ

The island of 5,000 people had been on lockdown for nearly three days as the category two storm passed close to the northern coast.

Residents were forced to stay indoors and all movement had been banned.

But with the cyclone now about 100km away, the alerts were lifted on Saturday night.

Wallis and Futuna's public broadcaster reported that power was cut, roofs were damaged and some areas flooded, but there was so far no major damage.

The cyclone is forecast to slowly move west, maintaining its category two strength.