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U.S. troops in Latvia tells Putin ‘don’t mess with us,’ minister says

By
Kaniva Staff
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ADAZI MILITARY BASE, Latvia, Feb 25 (Reuters) – The presence of U.S. and other NATO troops in Latvia sends a message to Vladimir Putin that Russia should stay away, Latvian Defence Minister Artis Pabriks said on Friday as he greeted a small deployment of U.S. soldiers.

U.S. troops attend arrival ceremony in Adazi military base, Latvia February 25, 2022. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins

The group of some forty U.S. service members arrived from Italy early on Thursday – before hostilities in Ukraine began. The deployment is expected to grow to more than 300 soldiers.

“We are a small country. We are ready to do whatever is needed to defend ourselves. We are not afraid to die for that. But we might be overwhelmed, so this is very much why we welcome you here,” Pabriks told the troops in Adazi military base on Friday.

Russia invaded Ukraine by land sea and air on Thursday after massing more than 150,000 troops around the country’s borders including in Latvia’s neighbour Belarus.

Latvia, together with Baltic neighbours Estonia and Lithuania, was once ruled by Moscow. They had long seen Russia as a security threat. But unlike Ukraine, the three countries joined the European Union and NATO, which brings security guarantees.

NATO’s founding treaty contains an article on collective defence stating that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all members.

“We are not afraid that somebody might invade us, but the signal that U.S. soldiers are with us, and that other allies, from Canadians to Europeans are with us, is a good signal to Putin – don’t mess with us,” Pabriks said.

Over the past two days the United States has sent the troops to Latvia as well as advanced F-35 fighter aircraft to Lithuania and Estonia. It has also announced it will not be withdrawing 500 troops in Lithuania in April, as planned. read more

About twenty U.S. Apache helicopters landed in Latvia on Wednesday. read moreReporting by Janis Laizans in Adazi. Writing by Andrius Sytas in Vilnius; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel.

Anti-mandate protesters march across Auckland Harbour Bridge

By
Kaniva Staff
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By RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission.

All southbound traffic lanes on State Highway One over the Auckland Harbour Bridge have now reopened after they were closed while anti-mandate protesters marched across the bridge.No caption

Photo: RNZ

State Highway 1 on the Northern Motorway was now closed to southbound traffic between Esmonde Rd and Fanshawe St and motorists were being asked to delay non-essential travel across the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

Thousands of anti-mandate protesters marched onto the bridge from the North Shore late this morning, chanting “mandates gone, first of March”.

Waka Kotahi said the protesters had unlawfully entered the state highway network on foot.

This morning hundreds of people gathered at Onepoto Domain at the northern end of the bridge and then set out towards the bridge.

Māori Wardens told RNZ they were escorting the protesters for safety reasons.

The march had been organised by Destiny Church’s Freedoms and Rights Coalition.Anti-mandate protesters in Auckland.

Anti-mandate protesters in Auckland. Photo: RNZ

In a statement, police said the safety of staff, road users and protesters was the priority.

They will be actively engaging with the protesters to prevent them crossing the bridge due to the significant safety risks posed.

Despite the safety concerns, protest organisers say they have worked with the police on traffic management.Anti-mandate protesters gather at Onepoto Domain on the North shore as they prepare to march across the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

Anti-mandate protesters gather at Onepoto Domain on the North shore as they prepare to march across the Auckland Harbour Bridge. Photo: RNZ

Covid-19 update: 13,606 new community cases today

By
Kaniva Staff
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By RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission

There have been 13,606 new community cases of Covid-19 reported in New Zealand today, with 263 people in hospital.Coronavirus disease COVID-19 outbreak Microscopic view of a infectious virus Red Virus cell 3D Rendering

Photo: 123rf.com

In a statement, the Ministry of Health said 9262 of the new cases were in the Auckland region.

The other cases are in the Northland (218), Waikato (1154), Bay of Plenty (690), Lakes (185), Hawke’s Bay (106), MidCentral (123), Whanganui (28), Taranaki (52), Tairāwhiti (48), Wairarapa (18), Capital and Coast (413), Hutt Valley (130), Nelson Marlborough (176), Canterbury (469), South Canterbury (20), Southern (505) and West Coast (3).

Five of the 263 people in hospital with the coronavirus are in intensive care.

Yesterday, 12,011 new cases were reported, double the 6137 reported the day before. Of Friday’s cases, 8223 were tested with Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs), while 3807 were PCR tests.

The Ministry said 2613 of today’s positive results were from PCR tests, while 10,993 were from RATs.

The Ministry has asked New Zealanders to please be patient with staff at testing centres and GP clinics.

“They are doing their best to cope with high demand for testing.”

RATs are now used as the primary test at all community testing centres and the Ministry said people who use a RAT will get their results within 20 minutes, which will “help identify cases sooner, reduce testing wait times and minimise disruption to business and ensure critical services and infrastructure workforce can continue operating”.

There were also six cases reported in MIQ today.

There have now been 70,652 cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand since the pandemic began.

Read more: Covid-19 data visualisations – NZ in numbers

The Ministry said while 31,217 vaccine booster doses were given yesterday, 30.5 percent of people who are now due their booster have not yet had it.

“We urge those people to make a plan to get boosted as soon as they can.”

There were also 445 first doses, 1167 second doses, 146 third primary doses, 2263 paediatric first doses and 285 paediatric second doses given yesterday.

Today, Covid-19 modeller Dion O’Neale explained testing and data-processing backlogs are probably behind the sudden jump in cases.

This morning anti-mandate protesters began a march across Auckland Harbour Bridge, causing all southbound traffic lanes to close.

And the Grounded Kiwis group called for an end to rules requiring returning New Zealanders to isolate after arriving back in the country, even with a negative Covid-19 test.

Covid-19 update: 12,011 new community cases in New Zealand today, five deaths

By
Kaniva Staff
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By RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission.

There are 12,011 new community cases of Covid-19 reported in New Zealand today, with five further deaths.Coronavirus particle, illustration. Covid-19, SARS-CoV-2.

Photo: Science Photo Library / DDJ/ via AFP

Today’s number is almost double the 6137 reported yesterday.

In a statement, the Ministry of Health said 8223 of the positive results came from Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs), while 3807 were PCR tests.

The Ministry said the further increase in cases today was not unexpected given the ongoing spread of Omicron and wider testing achieved from the combined use of RATs and PCR.https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/7324871/embed?auto=1A Flourish data visualization

Auckland has most of the new cases, with 1565 positive PCR tests and 6403 positive RAT results.

But the rest of the cases remain spread around the country, with the areas that returned a positive PCR result including Northland (46), Waikato (388), Bay of Plenty (279), Lakes (23), Hawke’s Bay (54), MidCentral (112), Whanganui (13), Taranaki (37), Tairāwhiti (34), Wairarapa (10), Capital and Coast (182), Hutt Valley (85), Nelson Marlborough (79), Canterbury (355), South Canterbury (13), Southern (524) and West Coast (6).

The locations of the new community cases detected through RATs were: Northland (87), Waikato (544), Bay of Plenty (338), Lakes (140), Hawke’s Bay (40), MidCentral (41), Whanganui (5), Taranaki (11), Tairāwhiti (18), Wairarapa (4), Capital and Coast (77), Hutt Valley (20), Nelson Marlborough (23), Canterbury (114), South Canterbury (5), Southern (343) and West Coast (3).

The Ministry said the case numbers and number of people in hospital were another reminder that vaccination is the best defence against the virus. There were 25,461 booster doses given yesterday, as well as 523 first doses, 1101 second doses, 179 third primary doses, 1657 paediatric first doses and 178 paediatric second doses.

The five deaths reported today are the most ever recorded in a single day in New Zealand. There were four deaths at one point in the outbreak in April 2020.

There have now been 61 deaths of people with Covid-19 in New Zealand.

The deaths of the five patients with Covid-19 include two who were cared for in North Shore Hospital, two in Waikato, and one in Tauranga.

There are currently 237 people in hospital with the the coronavirus, including three in intensive care. There are 83 patients at Middlemore with Covid-19 and 85 in Auckland Hospital, with the rest in Northland, North Shore, Tauranga, Hawke’s Bay, Capital and Coast, Hutt Valley, Canterbury and Southern hospitals.https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/7480174/embed?auto=1A Flourish data visualization

On Thursday, the daily number of community cases soared past the 6000 mark, with a record 6137 new cases. It was first time rapid antigen test results were included included in the daily numbers.

There were also 19 cases at the border reported today.

There have now been 39,413 cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand since the pandemic began.

Omicron update Tonga: new 68 cases as Hu‘atolitoli prison cluster grows

By
Kaniva Staff
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There are 68 new cases of Covid in Tonga today bringing the total number of cases since the outbreak to a total of 365.

Minister of Health Saia Piukala and Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku

Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku said of the new cases, there are 42 at Hu’atolitoli prison, 25 in Tongatapu and one case in Vava’u.

There are 178 active cases while 177 had been recovered or discharged from MIQs, he said during a press conference this morning.

Tongatapu’s curfew hours have been revised, he said.

The new curfew hours, effective next week, are from 8pm-5am.

Tertiary education Schools will reopen next week because of confident with the number of full vaccination administered among this age group across the country.

The Minister of Health Saia Piukala said the number of cases at the Hu’atolitoli cluster was growing “neongo ‘ene lahi ange” and “technical” issues had been detected there. He did not clarify the issues.

“The Ministry and the staff are working on it”, Hon Piukala said.

He said all active cases showed no sign of serious illness. Many positive cases were asymptomatic.

Repatriation flight

A repatriation flight is expected to arrive in Tonga on March 8 to bring back those passengers stuck overseas.

More repatriations in the near future but will depend on Omicron situation, the Prime Minister said.

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Taiwan scrambles fighter planes as nine Chinese aircraft enter its air defence zone on the day Russia invades Ukraine

By
Kaniva Staff
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Taiwan‘s air force scrambled its fighter planes on Thursday to warn away nine Chinese aircraft that entered its air defence zone on the day Russian invaded Ukraine.  

Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained of regular similar missions by the Chinese air force over the last two years, though the aircraft do not get close to Taiwan itself.

The number of aircraft involved was well off the last large-scale incursion – 39 Chinese aircraft on January 23 – and since then, such fly-bys have been sporadic with far fewer aircraft.https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.502.0_en.html#goog_1823583356

The ministry said the latest mission involved eight Chinese J-16 fighters and one Y-8 reconnaissance aircraft, which flew over an area to the northeast of the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands at the top end of the South China Sea.Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained of regular similar missions by the Chinese air force over the last two years, though the aircraft do not get close to Taiwan itself. Pictured: A J-16 fighter jet+3View gallery

Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained of regular similar missions by the Chinese air force over the last two years, though the aircraft do not get close to Taiwan itself. Pictured: A J-16 fighter jet The ministry said the latest mission involved eight Chinese J-16 fighters and one Y-8 reconnaissance aircraft (pictured)+3View gallery

The ministry said the latest mission involved eight Chinese J-16 fighters and one Y-8 reconnaissance aircraft (pictured)

Taiwanese fighters were sent up to warn the Chinese aircraft and air defence missiles were deployed to ‘monitor the activities’, the ministry said, using standard wording for how Taiwan describes its response.

Taiwan has been warily watching the Ukraine crisis, nervous that China may try to take advantage to move on the island.

While Taipei has not reported any unusual movements by Chinese forces, the government has increased its alert level.

China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, and routinely condemns U.S. arms sales or other shows of support from Washington.

Speaking in Beijing earlier on Thursday when asked about the new U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Tan Kefei reiterated that Taiwan was a ‘core issue’ of China’s and it would tolerate no foreign interference.+3View gallery

‘We urge the U.S. side to recognise the high sensitivity of the Taiwan issue, stop interfering in China’s internal affairs and stop playing with fire on the Taiwan issue,’ Tan said.

In the 12-page Indo-Pacific strategy overview issued earlier this month, the Biden administration vowed to commit more diplomatic and security resources to the region.

On Taiwan, Washington would work with partners inside and outside the region to maintain peace and stability in the strait dividing the island from China, it said.

  • Daily Mail

Covid-19 update: 6137 new community cases in NZ today, one further death

By
Kaniva Staff
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By RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission.

The daily number of community cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand has soared past the 6000 mark, with a record 6137 new cases today.Covid-19 coronavirus particles, illustration.

Photo: AFP

In a statement, the Ministry said 1979 cases were in the Auckland DHBs, with the rest in the Northland (56), Waikato (314), Bay of Plenty (116), Lakes (75), Hawke’s Bay (30), MidCentral (69), Whanganui (13), Taranaki (30), Tairāwhiti (26), Wairarapa (11), Capital and Coast (120), Hutt Valley (68), Nelson Marlborough (112), Canterbury (194), South Canterbury (3), Southern (305), and West Coast (4) DHBs.

The Ministry said 3526 of today’s results were PCR tests, while 2611 were detected through RATs, the first time these have been included in the daily releases.

The Ministry said it was very important that people self-reported positive results for RATs, so the size of the outbreak could be understood.

“We’d like to thank the thousands of people who have already self-reported positive RAT results.”

One more person with Covid-19 has died at Middlemore Hospital, the Ministry confirmed today.

There were 205 people in hospital with the coronavirus, including two in ICU.

Yesterday the Ministry announced 3297 new cases of Covid-19 in the community – the first time the total had exceeded 3000.

There were also eight cases detected at the border today.

There have now been 42,469 cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand since the pandemic began.

There were 24,632 booster doses given yesterday, as well as 536 first doses, 1146 second doses, 136 third primary doses, 1385 paediatric first doses and 150 paediatric second doses.

Omicron NZ: Tongan workers in Ōpōtiki test positive

By
Kaniva Staff
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At least eight Tongan workers working at Seeka, Ōpōtiki in the eastern Bay of Plenty have tested positive for Covid-19.

They were part of Ōpōtiki’s 12 new Covid-19 cases yesterday bringing the total active cases  to 31, reported Rotorua Daily Post.

It said “an Ōpōtiki-based Seeka worker from Tonga, based in Ōpōtiki, tested positive for Covid-19 at Whakatāne Hospital over the weekend”.

“Seeka chief executive Michael Franks said yesterday that seven more of the Tongan workers who are all close contacts with the worker have now tested positive”.

He said that the worker had felt unwell overnight on Saturday and was taken to Whakatāne Hospital.

Franks said all of the Tongan Recognised Seasonal Employer Scheme workers in Ōpōtiki had gone into isolation and crews that had been in recent contact with the worker had been stood down, the online newspaper said.

More than 30 Tongans arrived in New Zealand on February 1 to join the Recognised Seasonal Employers (RSE) Scheme.

Their arrival came few days after Tonga announced a nationwide scheduled lockdown on February 2 after port workers tested positive for Covid-19.

Franks reportedly said “Tongan crew had arrived in New Zealand, he said they had not brought the virus into the country but they had contracted it here in the community and they all had current vaccinations”.

“He said some of them had been travelling around other orchards and in that case, they had shut those down too.

“We just want to do the right thing and take care of our community,” he said.

Covid-19: Ashley Bloomfield, Chris Hipkins announce next steps in Omicron response

By
Kaniva Staff
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The Director-General of Health and Covid-19 Response Minister are laying out what is expected to be a move to phase three of the government’s Omicron response.

Watch the announcement live here from about midday: Here

The government initially set out the three phases of its Omicron response late last month, signalling an increasing reliance on automated systems and home isolation as growing case numbers threaten to overwhelm contact tracing, testing, and MIQ.

It was initially suggested New Zealand may never reach phase three, expected to trigger when the country was getting about 5000 cases a day, but that now seems inevitable with case numbers topping 3000 yesterday.

It would see further changes to contact tracing, with the definition of contacts shifting to household and household-like contacts, meaning only the highest-risk contacts will need to isolate.

Rapid antigen (RAT) tests would be considered sufficient to diagnose cases, who will be encouraged to fill out an online contact tracing form and self-notify their close contacts.

Clinical care and welfare support would be targeted based on need.

The nature of Omicron means daily cases are expected to double every three to five days, and the outbreak is not expected to peak for another three to six weeks.

With the caseload rising so rapidly, GPs have warned they may not be able to cope, and Covid-19 testing laboratories have been inundated with high levels of demand.

More to come…

Omicron Tonga: Heartbreak as hearse arrives outside MIQ hotel to allow daughter to say goodbye to late mum

By
Kaniva Staff
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The heart wrenching moment a woman trapped in hotel quarantine is forced to say goodbye to her dead mother through a window was captured on camera.

Photo/Patimiosi Ngūngūtau, Kaniva Tonga

Our correspondent in Tonga, Patimiosi Ngūngūtau took this photo of an emotional farewell for a grieving family at the Tanoa hotel in Nukua’alofa yesterday. 

The family requested that they stop outside the quarantine facility so that her daughter who was in managed isolation after recently arriving from New Zealand could pay her respects to her mother. 

The daughter can be seen grieving from a quarantine room as family console her from a distance.

A burial service was held after the MIQ farewell at the Pikipeavela cemetery in Haveluloto for the deceased.   

The photo shone a light on the struggles some people in managed isolation are going through when returning home for a family bereavement.

Tonga has a strict rule of 15-day quarantine at MIQs for repatriates who arrived at the Fua’amotu International Airport.

Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku said this morning Tonga has 287 positive cases since the outbreak.

There are only 133 active cases at present, 57 had recovered and 78 cases had been discharged from MIQs.

One person who had Covid died this week but the Minister of Health attributed his cause of death to the person’s underlying medical conditions.  

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