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Pregnant women among Covid-19 deaths in Fiji, babies saved

By
Kaniva Staff
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Two pregnant women are among Fiji’s latest victims of Covid-19, health authorities said.

Doctors were able to save both women’s newborns, the Health Ministry announced last night.

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Photo: Supplied

The ministry reported a record number of 21 deaths from the virus, along with 1091 new cases in the 24 hours to 8am on Wednesday. The deaths occurred between 14 July and 20 July.

Health Secretary Dr James Fong said while the outbreak was contained to the main island Viti Levu, primarily in the Lami-Suva-Nausori corridor, the ministry had seen increasing cases in the Western Division over the past week.

“Both pregnant women had been unwell with Covid-19 symptoms at home before presenting to our health facilities in severe respiratory distress.

“In both cases, our physicians made the decision to conduct emergency caesarean operations to rescue the newborns and assist with the care of the mothers.

“Sadly, despite the best efforts of their attending physicians, both mothers passed away. The fast actions of the obstetric team saved both babies.

“Maternal deaths at any time are a tragedy, and maternal deaths due to Covid-19 are a clear indication of the severity of this outbreak.”

It was not known at which stage of pregnancy the mother’s were at.

It was the sixth day out of the last seven that the daily figure of cases had topped 1000. The previous day, 1054 cases and 12 deaths between 13 July and 19 July were reported.

Dr Fong said given the rapidly evolving covid situation in Fiji, health teams were working around-the-clock to reprioritise and “focus our efforts to ensure we are protecting those most at risk of severe Covid-19 and dying”.

“Our elderly, people with existing medical conditions, and pregnant women are most at risk.

“These shifts include changes to our testing services, home quarantine guidance, ensuring we are providing life-saving medical care to those people who are most at risk and establishing vaccination for pregnant women.”

Fiji now has more than 15,000 active cases in isolation. It has recorded 146 deaths, 144 of them from the latest outbreak that began in April.

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.. Photo: Fiji govt

Call to return to normal antenatal care

An Australian health expert says Fijian women who have contracted Covid-19 should return to normal antenatal care as soon as they are no longer infectious.

Addressing a virtual discussion on Fiji, Professor Michelle Giles of Melbourne’s Monash Univeristy said as a general rule a woman’s standard antenatal care should not be compromised because she has Covid-19.

And she said this did not have to be done face to face.

Giles told the panel said she would encourage pregnant women not to stay away from hospitals or healthcare settings beyond the 14 days for fear of infecting other people because that was not likely to happen.

“What we actually know is that some people can shed the virus for a longer period of time, and it may not equate to them being infectious to others,” Giles said.

“I think if you have other infection control measures in place and they’ve had their 14 days, I would not demand or require a negative test before they have their return for antenatal care.”

Fiji’s Health Ministry has begun administering about 150,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine to pregnant women.

More data was showing that Moderna is safer for pregnant women and their unborn babies, Giles said said. Thousands of pregnant women in the US had received the Moderna vaccine and studies showed babies were not seen to be born pre-term or with abnormalities nor were their mothers more likely to experience side-effects.

“Women should get vaccinated as soon as they can, but I think if there are women who have particular concerns about one vaccine, I think we have a lot of accumulated safety data for the Moderna vaccine which is also very reassuring.”

The head of Fiji’s vaccination taskforce Dr Rachel Devi said from next Monday, pregnant women would be given the choice of the AstraZeneca or Moderna vaccine.

“We will not be cross-vaccinating anyone. If anyone out there has already got their first dose of AstraZeneca during their pregnancy, they will get their second dose of the AstraZeneca.

“For those who have not been, they will be offered the Moderna, but of course the choice is theirs,” Devi said.

No bail for man accused of killing Tongan seasonal worker in NZ

By
Kaniva Staff
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The Auckland man charged with the alleged murder of 23-year-old Hiko Lynch has been denied bail.

Hiko Fungavaka. Photo/Supplied

The 34-year-old accused with interim name suppression had been jointly charged with murder. He appeared in the High Court before Justice Francis Cooke on July 16.

He is also charged with wounding with intent to injure and failing to help detectives with a search.

Lynch was in New Zealand as an RSE (Recognised Seasonal Employer) worker before he died in an alleged stabbing on Market St on June 20 in central Blenheim.

Police believe the fatality came after an altercation between the Tongan RSE workers and some Rebel gang members from outside the region.

Lynch had been out celebrating a friend’s birthday. Two other Tongan men were wounded and hospitalised at Blenheim’s Wairau Hospital.

Lynch body was sent back home to Tongan where it was buried early this month.

Tonga’s sports and recreation laws under review, consultation announced

By
Kaniva Staff
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Tonga’s sports laws are up for reform and interested people can have their say on proposed changes to the new Act.

Known as Sports and Recreation Bill 2021, it will override the Tonga Sport Council Act 1989.

The Parliament yesterday Tuesday 20  said its Standing Committee is set to conduct meetings with members of the public in the House starting tomorrow Thursday 22 and Friday 23.

“It is open to the public to join in and submit proposals,” it said.

It said the laws were clarified to the public during radio talkback shows which gave people an opportunity to understand the impacts of the proposals and provide feedback.

It also said it received 24 calls with feedbacks from the public during the shows.

The proposed new laws list 22 sport associations which it said are the governing bodies for respective sport in the kingdom.

One of them was the controversial Tonga National Rugby League Incorporated (Kautaha Liiki ‘Akapulu Fakafonua ‘a Tonga) (TNRL) which was listed as the country’s ruling body for Tonga’s rugby league sports.

It is unclear at this stage, whether the structure and officials of the current Tonga National Rugby League Incorporated will continue under the new law when it will come into force in about a year from now – the normal time span it takes for a bill to be processed before it became law, or that the government will restructure it to suit the current situation in which there was a rival rugby league body, the Tonga Ma’a Tonga Rugby League (TMTRL).

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed Tonga National Rugby League’s (TNRL) appeal against its expulsion from the global governing body early this year.

The TNRL was expelled from the International Rugby League (IRL) in March 2019, after a long-running battle over governance, money and a threatened player boycott.

The CAS decision came after the Asia-Pacific Rugby League Confederation has already endorsed the bid by TMTRL, which has the support of the current Tongan players and coach.

You can find the copy of the new Bill in this link:

Lao_Fakaangaanga_Fika_9-2021

China calls meeting with NZ officials over ‘Cold War’ mentality

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

China’s embassy has summoned New Zealand foreign officials to a meeting after the government voiced criticism of Chinese state-funded hacking, raising industry concerns over trade implications.

Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta
Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas

The meeting came after the embassy issued a statement yesterday saying the accusations from the minister of New Zealand’s spy agencies Andrew Little were “totally groundless and irresponsible”.

The statement said such accusations should be backed by clear evidence, and doing so without was a malicious smear.

“We urge the New Zealand side to abandon the Cold War mentality, adopt a professional and responsible attitude when dealing with cyber incidents, and work with others to jointly tackle the challenge through dialogue and cooperation, rather than manipulating political issues under the pretext of cyber security and mudslinging at others.”

In a statement this afternoon, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta’s office said officials had met with representatives of the embassy at their request.

“Areas of difference need not define our relationship, but we will continue to promote the things that we believe in, and support the international rules-based system,” she said.

“Our relationship with China is one of our most significant, impacting a wide range of sectors and groups across Aotearoa New Zealand.”

New Zealand exporters have been concerned that the escalation of rhetoric could lead to a trade backlash from China, urging both countries to keep trade and politics separate.

New Zealand China Council chair Sir Don McKinnon said the country had to be prepared after calling China out.

“Once you reach a stage where you feel you have to criticise China publicly – which is what’s happened more recently – well that escalates it to a new level and you’ve got to be prepared for the consequences of that,” he said.

“Trade with China means money in people’s pockets in New Zealand from one end of the country to the other.”

Sir Don, who is also a former deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister for New Zealand, said it was a natural commercial decision make the most of a good opportunity but some of the vulnerability of New Zealand’s trade with China came down to individual exporters and companies.

“They’ve got to make the ultimate judgment how … vulnerable do they wish to be given the nature of whatever they are producing,” he said.

“Let’s accept the fact that the last 20 years the consumption of dairy products and red meat in China has grown tremendously strongly.

“They may look back in a couple of years time and say ‘well, we were pretty smart’, on the other hand they may look back and say ‘well we might have got it wrong for a while’.”

University of Auckland economics lecturer Robert Scollay said it was up to such companies to assess risk, but the government also had a huge and difficult role to play in managing the trade relationship.

“The major players are not necessarily always acting in a reasonable way so navigating a path through those tensions is actually a really major task for the government and you need to rely on them to manage that extremely competently and carefully.”

“In general I think they need to avoid taking actions which can be seen as gratuitously taking sides.”

He questioned the government’s pro-US move to express support for a “rules-based Indo-Pacific”, after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and US President Joe Biden’s phone conversation leading up to the APEC Covid-19 leaders’ meeting.

“I just wonder whether that’s really a prudent thing to do in the circumstances.”

Sir Don was more hopeful, saying he saw no signs of real retaliation yet.

“The consumption market in China’s not going to change and, yes, there might be a bump – but you wait it through.

“The main thing is New Zealand’s policies overall with China should always be straightforward, be transparent, be open and honest. It’s when you deviate from that you get into bigger problems.”

He said the government’s role was to create the environment for producers, manufacturers and service providers to maximise their returns, and there were other opportunities to explore including trade deals with the EU and UK, difficult as those might be to achieve.

“We’ve clearly got to work very very hard at getting good deals, even with the United Kingdom.”

Tonga scrambling to make up the numbers for Cook Islands clash

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

Tonga is struggling to find enough players to take on the Cook Islands in Saturday’s Rugby World Cup qualifying match in Auckland.

The ‘Ikale Tahi capped 17 new players during tests against the All Blacks and Samoa this month, with most of their European based stars unavailable because of Covid-19 travel restrictions.

Thirty players were in camp ahead of last weekend’s second test against Samoa – a World Cup qualifier – in Hamilton, but injuries and unavailability have depleted their squad further, with just 27 players in the mix to play on Saturday afternoon.

Hooker Siua Maile, lock Harrison Mataele and number eight Nasi Manu picked up a knock during Saturday’s 37-15 defeat in Kirikiriroa, joining Solomone Funaki and Zane Kapeli on the sidelines.

Meanwhile, Maama Vaipulu has returned to his day job as a builder, Kali Hala has a family bereavement and Aisea Halo is back with the North Harbour NPC team.

Coach Toutai Kefu said the management staff were still trying to find extra players to join the squad on four days before kickoff.

“There’s a list of players that you have and we’ve all gone through those – we’ve gone through probably 50, 60, 70 players I’d say. It’s just basically ringing agents, ringing coaches, club coaches – even asking players…’does anyone know any Tongans’ basically,” he laughed.

“We were whiteboarding names last night and counting how many props turned us down – it was nearly 25 (over the last couple of months).”

The global pandemic hasn’t helped Tonga’s recruitment efforts, with the cost of MIQ facilities in New Zealand forcing them to focus on locally based players, the bulk of whom have not played above club rugby.

“It is what it is. We give players a choice. We actually confirmed probably a group of players coming and by the time they had a chat to their agents the next day they reversed the decision,” Kefu said.

'Ikale Tahi coach Toutai Kefu.
‘Ikale Tahi coach Toutai Kefu. Photo: RNZ Pacific/Vinnie Wylie

“It’s very easy to have a depth chart but if those players don’t want to come play for you, well, that changes everything. It doesn’t really become a depth chart because those players are not on the chart.

“That’s something we will do straight after this campaign is take a close look at where all our players and and just investigate and see if we can change the thinking of those players.”

There is some good news, however. Tonga’s only fit lock, Don Lolo, who also had to return to work this week, will rejoin the camp on Thursday and is available to play on Saturday.

Former Tonga Under-20s lock Kelemete Finau and ex New Zealand Under 20s number eight Tovo Faleafa have joined the squad this week, while Waikato Development centre Paula Mahe and Bay of Plenty based lock Semisi Paea have been elevated to the full squad after training with the team in recent weeks.

Waikato Development hooker Anton Milnes is also training with the squad in Cambridge.

While the off-field distractions made for a disjointed training sessions on Tuesday afternoon, Toutai Kefu remained confident Tonga would be able to name a competitive team for the weekend.

“I mean we’re in no position to be taking anyone for granted – just in the last three weeks we’ve probably been beaten by 200 points aggregate so we’re in no position to be taking anyone lightly, and that’s why we’re abosolutely concentrating on winning this game.”

FAKAMATALA FAKATONGA NOUNOU

Kuo fakahā ‘e he faiako’ Toutai Kefu kuo faingata’a’ia e  ‘Ikale Tahi he feinga ke ma’u ha kau va’inga ke fakakakato e timi ki he tau mo Kuki’ailani’. ‘Oku ‘i ai e ngaahi fakitoa lahi ‘oku tupu ‘eni mei ai. Ko e tamaiki va’inga Tonga tokolahi ‘oku nau kei loka ‘i ‘Iulope tupu mei he Kōviti’. Ko e timi fo’ou ne ala ma’u ‘i Nu’u Sila ke nau va’inga he tau kualafai ki he Ipu ‘a Māmani’ kuo toe lavelavea ai ha ni’ihi ia pea ‘ikai ‘atā ‘a e fa’ahinga. Ne lavea ‘a Siua Maile mo Harrison Mataele pehē ki he fika 8 ko Nasi Manu lolotonga e tau ne fo’i ai ‘a e ‘Ikale Tahi ‘i Ha’amoa he uike kuo ‘osi’ pea kau atu ki ai  mo Solomone Funaki pehē kia Zane Kapeli. Taimi tatau kuo foki ‘a Maama Vaipulu ia ki he’ene ngāue’ ‘ana, pea mama’o mo Kali Hala he mole taha hono fāmili’ pea foki ‘a ‘Aisea Halo ia ki he’ene timi North Harbour NBC.

England giving Tonga money and coaching for November test

By
Kaniva Staff
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LONDON (AP) — England is giving Tonga money and offering coaching help for their rugby test in November at Twickenham.

Tonga was due to visit last November but the match was canceled in the pandemic.

England announced the new match on Tuesday, completing its autumn schedule. Tonga is first up on Nov. 6, followed by Australia on Nov. 13 and world champion South Africa on Nov. 20.

Twickenham is expected to be able to sell tickets for every seat. That, and England’s failure to ever visit Tonga and help the poorer Pacific Island nations has prompted the Rugby Football Union to give the team an undisclosed donation as “a good will gesture.”

Also, “the RFU is working with World Rugby and Tonga Rugby to make coaching and other resource personnel available to Tonga, which they hope will have a dual benefit of providing support to the Tongan team while also offering some good experience for the resource personnel involved.”

England and Tonga have met only three times previously, all at Rugby World Cups. The only Twickenham match was the first, in 1999, when England beat a 14-man Tonga 101-10.

This month, a depleted Tonga side without its overseas stars lost to New Zealand 102-0 and to Samoa twice in World Cup qualifiers.

What happened to Sydney socialite Juanita Neilsen?

By
Kalino Latu
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This story appears on RNZ.co.nz

When Juanita Nielsen disappeared from Sydney’s King Cross in July 1975 the story received intense public interest.

Nielsen was a journalist, socialite, model and heiress to the Mark Foy family fortune. She was also known for her anti-gentrification activism.

She lived on Victoria Street in Sydney’s Kings Cross and became involved in the fight to save its old Victorian houses from the wrecking ball and plans by developer Frank Theeman to build high rise tower blocks in their place.

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Photo: Supplied

Nearly 50 years later Nielsen’s disappearance remains a mystery. She was last seen at The Carousel nightclub in the Cross where she had gone to discuss advertising for her local newspaper Now.

The club was owned by underworld figure Abe Saffron, a personal friend of Theeman.

The people responsible for her disappearance have never been identified, and her remains have never been found.

Nielsen’s niece, Keiran McGee decided to investigate the case herself and has a podcast about her aunt’s disappearance for the ABC called Unravel – My Aunt Juanita.

One thing McGee wanted to clear up was the persistent description of Nielsen as a society kind of woman with a beehive.

“Myself and the family find it really insulting that she’s minimised in that way. I mean, this is a woman who ran her own newspaper in the 1970s. She organised a shareholder revolt against the sale of the family department stores – she was this really dynamic woman.”

Nielsen came from the family that owned the famous Mark Foy’s department store in Sydney – her father Neil was a wealthy heir to part of that fortune.

“It was all based on the Bon Marche in Paris. And it was beautiful, it brought a lot of European fashion and style from to Sydney.”

By the 1970s Nielsen was living in the Cross and publishing a newspaper from her house in Victoria Street.

“When she first purchased Now it was more kind of a social newspaper. It was all about the cool places to go in Kings Cross and where to buy or your cool clothes and things like that. She was modelling for it, she was writing everything, she was going out and getting it the advertising.

“And then she steps out of front door and sees this essentially a warzone on her street, with protesters trying to protect these terraces for low income renters and she starts to write about it and then she gets more activated.

“You kind of see this transition in her paper.”

The old Victorian terraces on Victoria Street had been converted into flats and the working-class tenants there were being evicted by Theeman, who had been buying up much property in the area.

At the time Kings Cross was an exotic and bohemian area, McGhee says.

“It was quite different to how it is now, it was more this place for artists and this kind of amazing mix of art and low-income workers and people who’d come up the hill from the docks and just this really interesting place.”

But the developers were moving in helped by changes to the planning laws brought in by Liberal state premier Robert Askin.

“Robert Askin was the premier of New South Wales. And he is roundly considered to be the most corrupt premier in Australian history, which is a big call.

“But he was, he was super corrupt. And he kind of changed a whole lot of the planning laws to allow all this redevelopment of areas such as Kings Cross in the inner city, which destabilised a lot of local communities.”

Protesting against the development was a dangerous business, McGhee says.

Arthur King, a leader of the anti-development protestors, was abducted. He still doesn’t talk about what happened to this day, she says.

“But what I know about it is very traumatic. And he was just scared for his life … he was in a very, very dangerous position.

“So, he did everything he could survive, and he listened to what his abductors told him to do. And he survived.”

The BLF construction union supported the protestors, she says, and declared a “green ban” on the street, effectively meaning no union member could carry out demolition work. The head of the union was Jack Mundey

“In 1973, he was the head of the New South Wales BLF. And what the green ban did it was it was essentially like a strike. But instead of it being about union wages and things like that, the BLF wanted to protect the integrity of the environment.

“They were declaring green bans on building sites around Sydney.

“In one place in Kelly’s Bush it was to protect literally a reserve and then in other places in Woolloomooloo it was to protect low income housing.

“And it was really inspiring, and it was kind of this amazing moment in time that some lay people were activated. And unions joined forces with these protesters for higher purpose.”

Nielsen founded the Victoria Street Ratepayers Association to put pressure on the council to resist the developer, Theeman meanwhile had the police on his side.

At the Victoria street siege where Theeman’s thugs tried to forcibly evict tenants, the police either watched on or actively helped, she says.

“I spoke to a couple of people who were at the siege, their descriptions of how scary it was, and how they were arrested and just dragged out by the police.

“And you just think that should not have happened – the police should have been there to keep peace.

“But they were there with the thugs who one protester told me had axes and chains.”

Nielsen was overseas when the siege took place, shortly before her own disappearance.

There had been one or two attempts to get Nielsen to visit The Carousel before, McGhee says, but Nielsen was suspicious and by this time worried for her own safety.

“In the morning she has her phone call with [business partner] David Farrell. Because she checks in every morning with him and tells him how her day’s going to be planned out because they are concerned about her safety.

“And she says that she’s going to this meeting at The Carousel and David’s not comfortable with that. But you know, you can’t tell Juanita what to do.”

The Carousel club was owned by the notorious “Mr Sin” Abe Saffron

“He was friends with Theeman. They knew each other …I still haven’t worked out the extent of their friendship. But they do know each other.”

There has long been suspicion about the police investigation into Nielsen’s disappearance, she says.

“When we spoke to Arthur King he said that the investigation, it should have been solved within three days – she walked into The Carousel club and was never seen again.  I mean, how hard can it be?”

In 1983 a coroner’s finding said the investigation was inhibited “by the atmosphere of corruption, real or imagined, that existed at the time.”

“We have to look at the police corruption at the time, which was rife. And that’s been established through the Wood Royal Commission, that it was systemic and endemic.”

Just last year the NSW Police offered a reward of $1 million for information that could lead to the recovery of Nielsen’s remains.

“It’s for information leading to the discovery of her body, rather than any final kind of convictions.”

Fijians urged to vaccinate as Moderna arrives

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

Fijians above 60 years of age and pregnant women have been encouraged to get the Moderna vaccine for protection against Covid-19.

The government plea comes amid record daily infections and deaths recorded so far – over 14,000 active cases are in isolation with more than 100 deaths reported.

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.. Photo: Supplied/US Embassy, Suva

Fiji’s Health Ministry says it will begin administering the Moderna vaccine soon after more than 150,000 doses of the vaccine arrived in Fiji last weekend through the US government and the COVAX Facility.

The shipment is part of the 80 million doses of vaccine that President Joe Biden committed from the US vaccine supply to support global needs.

US Embassy in Suva Chargé d’Affaires Tony Gruebel said that was due to the “ingenuity of American scientists and the resilience and commitment of the American people to help others”.

Gruebel said the vaccine donation followed a May response by Washington to Fiji’s request for critical assistance to confront the evolving Covid-19 crisis in the Pacific island nation.

“In partnership with UNICEF, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) redirected funding to procure vital infection prevention and control items for Fiji’s Ministry of Health.

“The vaccines also follow the US donation of 42 freezers to provide storage space for large quantities of the vaccine as well as freezer packs, which will allow for the easy transportation to inoculation sites.”

Gruebel said the donation was funded by the US Indo-Pacific Command’s Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster and Civic Aid program.

In addition, Gruebel also launched a new $US1.5 million partnership between USAID and UNICEF to support countries in the Pacific including Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Nauru, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Marshall Islands and Fiji to combat Covid-19.

The USAID assistance would also focus on readiness, delivery, and post-delivery monitoring of life-saving Covid-19 vaccines, as well as support effective public messaging around vaccinations, he said.

Fiji’s Health Minister Ifereimi Waqainabete thanked the US government and urged Fijians with chronic lung disease, significant cardiac disease, severe obesity, diabetes, liver disease and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections to get the Moderna vaccine.

Waqainabete said unlike with the AstraZeneca vaccine, pregnant women could now get the Moderna vaccine to protect themselves against the risk of severe illness, hospitalisation and other consequences of Covid-19.

“The Moderna Covid-19 vaccine will also be made available to all pregnant women across Fiji who can protect themselves from severe Covid-19 illness by getting vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine.

“Vaccination venues for the Moderna vaccine will be published on the Fijian Government, the Ministry of Health Facebook pages and in the local media.”

The ministry will begin administering Moderna to pregnant women employed in the civil service before 1 August, this year, Waqainabete said.

The government recently issued a directive to all workers to vaccinate against Covid-19 by 1 November or face losing their jobs.

The minister said pregnant women could continue to go to work while they waited to receive the Moderna vaccine.

“An individual requires two doses of the Moderna vaccine for full protection, with the second dose to be administered 28 days after the first dose.

“The ministry recommends people to receive the same type of Covid-19 vaccine for both first and second doses, without mixing them.

“This means a person who received the Moderna vaccine as first dose should get the same Moderna for the second dose and the same applies to the AstraZeneca vaccine.”

The Covid-19 Drive-Through Vaccination Centre in Suva.
The Covid-19 Drive-Through Vaccination Centre in Suva. Photo: Facebook/Fiji govt

The minister said the new vaccine would boost the government’s ongoing vaccination efforts and would allow eligible individuals, 18 years and older, including pregnant women to get vaccinated.

“While the AstraZeneca vaccine also protects pregnant mothers from severe illness, hospitalisation and other consequences of Covid-19, the Moderna vaccine will allow earlier immunity protection for women, as the second dose is administered after 28 days.

“The Moderna Covid-19 vaccine came into the country with the support of the United States under the COVAX Facility vaccine share mechanism – a world-wide initiative aimed at fair access to Covid vaccines directed by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, CEPI, WHO and UNICEF.

“The Moderna vaccines are a timely boost to Fiji’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign.”

Waqainabete urged pregnant women to get vaccinated without delay including those above 60 years of age with severe co-morbidities such as chronic lung disease, significant cardiac disease, severe obesity, diabetes, liver disease and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections who are also among those prioritised to receive the Moderna vaccine within the Suva-Nausori Covid-19 containment corridor.

The Health Ministry said a total of 401,404 Fijians or 68.4 percent of the target population have received their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, while 80,895 people (13.8 percent) have received both jabs.

Government points finger at China over cyber attacks

By
Kaniva Staff
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The government says it has uncovered evidence of Chinese state-sponsored cyber attacks in New Zealand.

Andrew Little
China should take appropriate action to stop cyber attack activity originating from its territory, Andrew Little says. Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas

GCSB Minister Andrew Little said that the foreign intelligence agency has established links between Chinese state-sponsored actors known as Advanced Persistent Threat 40 (APT40) and malicious cyber activity in New Zealand.

The GCSB had “worked through a robust technical attribution process” to establish its conclusions, Little said.

He said the government is joining other countries in strongly condemning what the Chinese Ministry of State Security has been doing both in New Zealand and globally.

“Separately, the GCSB has also confirmed Chinese state-sponsored actors were responsible for the exploitation of Microsoft Exchange vulnerabilities in New Zealand in early 2021.

“We call for an end to this type of malicious activity, which undermines global stability and security, and we urge China to take appropriate action in relation to such activity emanating from its territory,” Little said in a statement.

Microsoft email servers have been targeted and Little said the GCSB has helped the affected local organisations.

In March New Zealanders were warned to be concerned and act swiftly after a massive email hack that was blamed on China.

Little will not be naming the victims citing national security and commercial confidentiality.

It reinforced the importance of organisations and individuals having strong cyber security measures in place, the minister said.

The GCSB said about 30 percent of serious malicious cyber activity in this country can be linked to various state-sponsored actors.

Read more:

UK also blames Chinese-backed actors for Microsoft hacking

New Zealand joined the US, UK and the EU, along with Australia and other countries, in condemning malicious cyber activity.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it posed “a major threat to our economic and national security.”

Britain said on Monday that it and its partners held Chinese state-backed groups responsible for “a pervasive pattern of hacking” involving attacks on Microsoft Exchange servers.

The attacks took place earlier this year and affected more than a quarter of a million servers worldwide, the British foreign ministry said.

“The cyber attack on Microsoft Exchange Server by Chinese state-backed groups was a reckless but familiar pattern of behaviour,” British foreign minister Dominic Raab said in a statement.

“The Chinese government must end this systematic cyber sabotage and can expect to be held to account if it does not.”

The foreign office said the attack was “highly likely to enable large-scale espionage”.

It added Britain and its allies attributed the Chinese Ministry of State Security as being behind the hacking groups known by security experts as “APT40” and “APT31”.

– RNZ / Reuters

11-year-old among eight illicit drug arrests in Tongatapu

By
Kaniva Staff
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Eight men including an 11-year-old boy have been arrested after Police targeted several locations in Tongatapu.

The arrests were made between Monday 28 June 2021 and Wednesday, 14 July 2021, Police said.

The seven men arrested were all in their early twenties to mid-thirties. The boy was arrested for possessing a utensil for smoking drugs during a police raid of a residence at Pahu.

Seizures include 153 cannabis plants uprooted from a bush allotment at Vaini, 15.93 grams of methamphetamine, and over $8,000 pa’anga.

“There is real concern for the involvement of youth in drugs activities and my message is, walk away now from drugs before it’s too late”, Acting Deputy Commissioner Halatoa Taufa said.

Taufa also confirmed that Police seized drugs, utensil, and a large amount of cash from the driver in the road crash which claimed the life of a 20-year-old man on the 4 July on Taufa’ahau Road opposite Hu’atolitoli Prison.

“Taufa wishes to acknowledge the partnership with the communities and encourages anyone who may have information about drugs to please come forward or contact phone 740-1660 or 922.”

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