Tonga’s PTOA Party has again claimed victory in today’s electorate by-elections after three MPs had been unseated after Tonga’s Supreme Court dismissed their appeals over bribery convictions.
Piveni Piukala (L), Mateni Tapueluelue and Dulcie Tei
The results came after the Ha’apai by-election in September was won by another PTOA Party MP Mo’ale Finau.
Today’s preliminary results in two constituencies’ by-elections show PTOA and former Tongatapu 4 MP Mateni Tapueluelu and new PTOA MP for Tongatapu 7 Piveni Piukala had a commanding victory.
Tongatapu 6 was won by Dulcie Tei, the wife of convicted and ousted Deputy Prime Minister Poasi Tei.
The preliminary results had been announced at each poll station this afternoon after 4pm. It was reported that the official results will be announced later this evening by the Electoral Supervisor and Commissioner.
At PTOA headquarters and social media pages supporters were celebrating.
Tonga is expecting another by-election to replace former MP and Minister of Fisheries Semisi Fakahau who was also a PTOA MP. Fakahau died last week.
The MPs who had been unseated were: Tatafu Moeaki, Poasi Tei and Sangster Saulala.
All three had been found guilty of bribing voters in Tonga’s general election last year.
A big pay rise received by Tongan Parliamentarians this year has been met with controversy and its legality disputed.
The PTOA (Democrats) party has sought legal advice on Parliament’s back paying of a salary hike of four years from 2018 to 2022.
The PTOA said the pay rise did not comply with government regulations.
The government’s use of a circular rather than face-to-face voting in the House to see if MPs approved the pay hike has been called into question.
The Parliament said the salary rise was legal and was approved through a circular which was distributed among the MPs.
The Legislative Assembly’s Deputy Clerk, Dr Sione Vikilani, said the circular was a legal means of communication approved by the House.
“The circular was a means of communication and it could be used and any decision made through it is not illegal”, Dr Vikilani told Kaniva News in Tongan.
He confirmed the back pay had been paid out to members and staff of the House.
He did not respond to a question from Kaniva asking why a circular was used to ballot the pay hike and not a face-to-face voting in the House.
He also did not respond to our request to name the MPs who balloted for and against the motion for the salary increase.
We attempted to get the details of the pay rise and the amount paid to each Parliamentarian but to no avail.
Former PTOA MP and Minister of Police Māteni Tapueluelu told Kaniva News he had refused to accept the pay hike after it was approved.
He believed it was wrong for the Parliament to hire an independent consultant to advise on its pay rise.
The number of New Zealanders who have had a second booster shot is much lower than people who had a first booster shot.
Covid modeller Dr Emily Harvey said many people who were eligible for a second booster had received their last injection more than a year ago.
Dr Harvey told the New Zealand Herald that while protection from vaccination waned over time, the waning of protection against severe disease was much slower than for protection against infection.
“This means that any increase in vaccination and booster levels will help to reduce hospitalisation numbers.”
Dr Dion O’Neale from Covid-19 Modelling Aotearoa said vaccination remained the best protection.
The group has been trying to predict what the next wave of the Covid-19 virus will look like in New Zealand, but said there was not enough information to predict exactly what would happen.
Nor was there any evidence to show what toll it is likely to take on the community.
There was no immediate evidence to suggest that the new variants of Covid that would probably feature in any third wave were any more severe than their Omicron predecessors.
Reinfections make up about 13% of cases. Researchers have suggested that people who were infected during the original wave in 2020 were more at risk now because their immunity would have diminished
Meanwhile, Otago University epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker said the warmer weather did not affect the Covid variants most of concern because they were so infectious.
“They get a bit of a boost from winter when people are indoors more, but they don’t absolutely need winter conditions to spread,” Professor Baker said.
As Kaniva News reported yesterday, the two variants currently of concern are XBB and BQ1.1.
Professor Baker said XBB was driving the surge of infections in Singapore.
“That may be what we’ll see here,” he said.
FAKAMATALA FAKATONGA
‘Oku tō lalo ‘a e tokolahi ‘o e kakai Nu’u Sila kuo nau huhu malu’i pusita ua’ ‘i he tokolahi ‘o e kau pusita ‘uluaki.
Pehe ‘e he Mōtela ‘o e Koviti’ ko Dr Emily Harvey ko e tokolahi ‘o e kakai ne lava ke nau huhu malu’i pusita ua ne fakahoko ia laka hake ‘i he ta’u ‘e taha kuo hili’.
Ne fakaha’e Dr Harvey ki he New Zealand Herald lolotonga ‘oku holo e mālohi’ o ehuhu malu’i he ‘alu ‘a e taimi’, oku māmālie ange holo ‘ene malu’i ‘i he kakaha ‘a e mahaki ‘i he’ene malu’i ‘a e pipihi.
‘Oku ‘uhinga ‘eni ka fakalahi ‘a e huhu malu’i mo e pusitaa’ ‘e tokoni ia ke fakasi’si’i ‘a e tokolahi ‘o e kau tākoto falemahaki’.
Pehe ‘e Dr Dion O’Neale mei he Covid-19 Modelling Aotearoa oku kei hoko pe ‘a e huhu malu’i ko e malu’i lelei taha ia mei he mahaki.
Oku feinga ‘a e kulupu ni ke vavalo’i pe ‘e fōtunga fefe ‘a e vailasi ‘o e Koviti ka hoko mai’ ‘i Nu’u Sila ni pea ‘oku te’eki ha fakamooni ko e ha e lahi ka tō he komiunitii’.
Na’e te’eki ha fakamooni leva ke ne fokotu’u mai ko e fōtunga fo’ou ‘o e Koviti ‘e lava ke ne langa’i ha toe aake hono ua mai ‘o e mahaki ‘e ala kakaha ange ia ‘i he ‘Omikoloni’.
Ko e peseta ‘e 13 ko e toe pihia. Pehe ‘e he liseesa ko e kakai ne pihia lolotonga ‘e ‘uluaki too’ i he 2020 ‘oku nau ala matu’utamaki ange he taimi ni koeuhi kuo holo ‘a hono ivi malu’i ‘imiunitii’.
Taimi tatau kuo pehe ‘e Palōfesa Michale Baker ko e ‘epitemolosisi mei he ‘Univesiti ‘o Otago ko e mafana ange ‘a e ‘ea ‘e ‘ikai ke ne uesia ‘e ia ‘a e ngaahi fakafotunga ‘o e Koviti koe’uhi ‘oku nau fu’u pipihi.
Nau ki’i alāanga ange mo e momoko ‘o ala mahiki ai ‘enau pipihi he taimi ‘oku nofo fale ai ‘a e kakai ka ‘oku ‘ikai ‘uhinga ia ‘oku nau fiema’u ke momoko e ‘ea’ ka nau toki mafola, ko e lau ia ‘a e Palofesa Baker.
Hangē ko e lipooti ‘a e Kaniva ‘aneafi’, ko e ongo fōtunga ‘e ua ‘oku fai ki ha ‘a e hoha’a’ ko e XBB mo e BQ1.1.
Pehe ‘e baker ko e XBB ‘oku tu’unga ai ‘a e mahiki ‘a e mahaki ‘i Singapore.
Mahalo ko e me’a ia te ala ma’u heni, ko ‘ene lau ia.
Elon Musk has become Twitter’s new owner, firing top executives he had accused of misleading him and providing little clarity over how he will achieve the lofty ambitions he has outlined for the influential social media platform.
Photo: AFP
The chief executive of electric car maker Tesla Inc has said he wants to “defeat” spam bots on Twitter, make the algorithms that determine how content is presented to its users publicly available, and prevent the platform from becoming an echo chamber for hate and division, even as he limits censorship.
Yet Musk has not offered details on how he will achieve all this and who will run the company. He has said he plans to cut jobs, leaving Twitter’s approximately 7,500 employees fretting about their future. He also said on Thursday he did not buy Twitter to make more money but “to try to help humanity, whom I love”.
Musk terminated Twitter chief executive Parag Agrawal, chief financial officer Ned Segal and legal affairs and policy chief Vijaya Gadde, according to people familiar with the matter. He had accused them of misleading him and Twitter investors over the number of fake accounts on the social media platform.
Agrawal and Segal were in Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters when the deal closed and were escorted out, the sources added.
Twitter, Musk and the executives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The US$44 billion (NZ$75bn) acquisition is the culmination of a remarkable saga, full of twists and turns, that sowed doubt over whether Musk would complete the deal. It began on 4 April, when Musk disclosed a 9.2 percent stake in the San Francisco company, making him its largest shareholder.
The world’s richest person then agreed to join Twitter’s board, only to balk at the last minute and offer to buy the company instead for $54.20 per share, an offer that Twitter was unsure whether to interpret as another of Musk’s cannabis jokes.
Musk’s offer was real, and over the course of just one weekend later in April, the two sides reached a deal at the price he suggested. This happened without Musk carrying out any due diligence on the company’s confidential information, as is customary in an acquisition.
In the weeks that followed, Musk had second thoughts. He complained publicly that he believed Twitter’s spam accounts were significantly higher than Twitter’s estimate, published in regulatory filings, of less than 5 percent of its monetizable daily active users. His lawyers then accused Twitter of not complying with his requests for information on the subject.
The acrimony resulted in Musk giving notice to Twitter on 8 July that he was terminating their deal on the grounds that Twitter misled him on the bots and did not cooperate with him. Four days later, Twitter sued Musk in Delaware, where the company is incorporated, to force him to complete the deal.
By then, shares of social media companies and the broader stock market had plunged on concerns that the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes, as it seeks to fight inflation, will push the US economy into recession. Twitter accused Musk of buyer’s remorse, arguing he wanted to get out of the deal because he thought he overpaid.
Most legal analysts said Twitter had the strongest arguments and would likely prevail in court. Their view did not change even after Twitter’s former security chief Peiter Zatko stepped forward as a whistleblower in August to allege that the company failed to disclose weaknesses in its security and data privacy.
On 4 October, just as Musk was set to be deposed by Twitter’s lawyers ahead of the start of their trial later in the month, he performed another u-turn and offered to complete the deal as promised. The Delaware judge gave him an 28 October deadline to close the transaction and avoid the trial.
‘Chief twit’
Since then, Musk has indulged the deal hype. He walked into Twitter’s headquarters on Wednesday with a big grin and carrying a porcelain sink, subsequently tweeting “let that sink in.” He changed his description in his Twitter profile to “Chief Twit”.
He also tried to calm fears among employees that major layoffs are coming and assured advertisers that his past criticism of Twitter’s content moderation rules would not harm its appeal.
“Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences!” Musk said in an open letter to advertisers on Thursday.
Musk has indicated he sees Twitter as a foundation for creating a “super app” that offers everything from money transfers to shopping and ride hailing.
“The long-term potential for Twitter in my view is an order of magnitude greater than its current value,” Musk said on Tesla’s call with analysts on 19 October.
But Twitter is struggling to engage its most active users who are vital to the business. These “heavy tweeters” account for less than 10 percent of monthly overall users but generate 90 percent of all tweets and half of global revenue.
Musk said in May he would reverse the ban on Donald Trump, who was removed after the attack on the US Capitol, although the former US President Donald Trump has said he won’t return on the platform. He has instead launched his own social media app, Truth Social.
People are being urged to ensure they have been vaccinated and had had booster shots as experts predict a third wave of Covid-19.
Booster shots were critical in defending people from Covid, one expert has said.
Predictions of a third wave have been made as the number of cases has risen. There are 6000 cases in Auckland.
New Covid infections have jumped by more than 1500 cases in a day. On Thursday the Ministry of Health reported 3923 new Omicron cases across New Zealand. On Wednesday, October 26, there were 2410 infections.
This week the ministry reported 16,399 cases over the past week – an increase of about 2000 infections in seven days.
On Monday, there were 243 people in hospitals across New Zealand with the virus and six in intensive care. That number has risen since protection framework restrictions were lifted in September when case numbers were low.
The ministry also reported 41 deaths, including one person aged between 10 and 19.
While BA.4/5 remained the dominant variant across New Zealand, wastewater monitoring has recently detected a new subvariant BQ.1.1 in West Auckland, Rotorua and Porirua.
There is also a case of XBB, a recombinant variant that is made up of genetic material from two other subvariants.
Professor Michael Plank, who teaches mathematics and statistics at Canterbury University and models Covid, said New Zealand was likely to see a third wave of infections.
He said the country would follow the similar trends seen in Europe, and the question was not if there would be a new wave of infections, but how large it would be.
A third wave of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 was likely to hit the country this year, epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker said.
Professor Baker, from Otago University, said Singapore, whose experience of the pandemic has been similar to New Zealand’s, was also experiencing a steady rise.
“That may be what we’ll see here,” Professor Baker said.
Baker said it was “slightly worrying” to see cruise ships back in New Zealand waters with about 130 infected people on one ship that has berthed at Wellington.
However, with 10,000 people flying in daily from overseas, cases on cruise ships would make a relatively small contribution to the country’s Covid-19 toll.
Baker was concerned that many adults had not lined up for their booster shots.
“That’s really a critical step and still the best measure that people can take to protect themselves and it does help against these new variants as well.”
Covid-19 modeler David Welch said a range of different factors, including loosened restrictions, waning immunity and new sub-variants would affect the third wave.
It appeared the doubling rate was around three weeks and not rising quickly, which might mean the coming wave would be smaller and shorter than the second wave.
Review
Last week, the Government announced it would be winding down special powers that enabled it to order lockdowns, vaccine mandates and managed isolation and quarantine before the end of the year.
However, requirements for infected people to isolate – which Australia recently scrapped – along with masking mandates in health and aged-care facilities have been retained.
People are urged to ensure they have been vaccinated and had had booster shots.
The next review of remaining isolation and mask-wearing measures will take place by the end of November.
FAKAMATALA FAKTONGA
‘Oku kolea ai pē ‘a e kakai ke fakapapau’i ‘oku nau huhu malu’i mo booster he ko e fakafuofua ‘a e kau taukei ‘e ‘i ai ha toe ta’au hono 3 ‘a e Kōviti -19.Na’e pehē ‘e ha taha ‘oe kau mataotao ko e huhu booster ‘oku fai e fakafuofua lelei ki hono malu’i e kakai mei he Kōviti. Kuo fai ha fakafuofua ki ha toe takai tu’o 3 mai ‘i he ‘a’alu ko ‘eni ‘a e toko lahi ‘o e keisi ki ‘olunga. Ko e keisi ‘e 6000 ‘i ‘Aokalani. Kuo ‘alu e ma’olunga ‘o e kau puke fo’ou ‘o lahi hake he toko 1500 ‘i he ‘aho. Na’e lipooti ‘e he Potungāue Mo’ui ‘i he ‘aho Tu’apulelulu ha keisi Omicron fo’ou ‘e 3923 ‘i Nu’usila fakakātoa. ‘I he Pulelulu 26 ‘o ‘Okatopa, na’e ‘i ai e kau puke ‘e toko 2410.Na’e lipooti ‘e he potungāue ‘i he uike ni ha kau puke ‘e toko 16399 ‘i he uike kuo ‘osi, ko e hiki hake ia ‘aki ‘a e toko 2000 ‘o e kau puke he fo’i ‘aho ‘e 7.’I he Mōnite na’e tākoto falemahaki ai ha toko 243 ‘i Nu’usila ko e vailasi pea toko 6 he loki tokanga’i makehe. Kuo ‘alu hake toko lahi hili ko ia hono to’o ‘o e ngaahi tefito’i tu’utu’uni ‘o e fakataputapui ‘i Sepitema ‘i he taimi na’e toko si’i ai ‘a e keisi.Na’e toe lipooti ai pe ‘e he potungāue ha kau mate ‘e toko 41, kau ai ha taha ta’u 10 mo e 19. Lolotonga ko ia ‘a e kei mālohi taha ‘a e kalasi BA.4.5 ‘i Nu’usila, kuo fakatokanga’i ai ‘a e kalasi fo’ou ko e BQ.1.1 ‘i he fakatafe’anga vai ‘osi ngāue’aki ‘i he hihifo ‘o ‘Aokalani, Lotolua mo Polilua. ‘Oku toe ‘i ai mo e keisi ‘i he XBB, ko ha tuifio ia ‘a e kalasi ‘o fatu ai ha toe ki’i me’a mo’ui nei he ongo kalasi kimu’a.Na’e pehē ‘e Palofesa Michael Plank, ‘oku faiako fika mo Sitetisitika he ‘Univēsiti ‘o Canterbury, ‘e ngalingali ka fetaulaki ‘a Nu’usila mo e toe takai tu’o 3 mai ‘a e mahaki pipihi ni. Na’e ne pehē ‘e ala ke toe fou atu ‘a e fonua ‘i he hifonga tatau na’e fou ai ‘a ‘Iulope, pea ko e fehu’i ‘oku ‘ikai ko e hoko mai ‘a ha toe ta’au fo’ou ‘o e to’u mahaki, ka ko e ‘e fēfē hono lahi?Ko e ta’au hono 3 mai ‘a e kalasi Omicron ‘o e Kōviti – 19 ‘oku naglingali ke ne toe a’u mai ki he fonua he ta’u ni, ko e lau ia ‘a e mataotao ‘i he mala’e faito’o jko Palofesa Michael Baker. Na’e pehē ‘e Palofesa Baker mei he ‘Univēsiti ‘ ‘Ōtako, ko Singapoa kuo mahimangu ‘ he mahaki faka’auha ‘o tatau mo Nu’usila ‘ene toe ‘alu ke toko lahi ange. Na’e pehē ‘e Palofesa Baker , ” ngali ko e me’a ia te tau sio ki ai ‘i heni. “
KANIVA’S COMMENTARY: Former Senior Customs Officer, Paula Naitoko, 68, has been jailed for six years.
He was found guilty in the Supreme Court of importing 6662 grams of methamphetamine worth of TP$1 million from the United States in 2019.
Naitoko, who was nearing retirement age, was also found guilty of trying to smuggle guns and ammunition into the country.
Kaniva News makes absolutely no adverse comment on the sentence or doubts the seriousness of Naitoko’s crime.
One cannot help thinking, however, about the disparity between the future that awaits him and that being enjoyed by former Finance Minister Tatafu Moeaki.
As we reported in August, Moeaki was convicted of electoral fraud and subsequently lost his seat in Parliament, but went back on the government payroll as a project manager in the Ministry of Infrastructure.
Minster of Infrastructure Sevenitiini Toumo’ua said he was happy that the convicted fraudster was working for the Ministry.
He praised Moeaki highly and said the former Minister had the experience necessary to fill the role.
Like Naitoko, Moeaki’s case was serious enough to be heard in the Supreme Court.
However, it seems unlikely that Naitoko will receive such generous treatment from the government.
The difference in the treatment of the two convicted criminals by their former employer – the government – has outraged public opinion.
Some members of the public have been angry enough to demand Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku resign.
The government must treat all its former employees – whether they be Cabinet Ministers or Customs officials – the same. If the government is to provide employment and what appears to be immediate rehabilitation for those convicted of crimes, then surely everybody convicted of a crime should benefit from such generosity of spirit.
There is equity in how the law is applied. All are equal when they come before the bench. However, there must also be equity in how the government treats people. An equitable society is a peaceful and prosperous one. It is a just and principled society.
If the government does not treat people with equity, then it will set a bad example for the country. Do we want young people to grow up thinking that as long as they have the right connections, they can break the law and, apparently, be saved from any real consequences for their misdeeds?
People will form opinions based on how the government behaves. It is a lesson this government does not seem to have learned, despite the appalling example set by the previous administration in its handling of the Lavulavu case.
If a convicted drug smuggler’s only hope is that his family will be waiting for him when he is released, then why should a politician convicted of fraud and trying to cheat the electors expect to be welcomed back as if nothing has happened?
There is an old saying that justice must not only be done, it must be seen to be done. So it is with government. The leaders of the country must not only behave honorably and with equity, they must be seen to do so.
Tongan Minister for Fisheries Sēmisi Fakahau has died aged 74, reports say.
Former Minister of Internal Affairs Sangaster Saula has paid tribute to Fakahau on social media this morning.
His death comes after Fakahau was in Auckland for medical assistance in May. It is understood he returned to Tonga before his death.
He was the second Cabinet Minister to have died while serving the government after the former Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Viliami Hingano died in Auckland in June.
The news comes at a tough time for Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku after three of his cabinet ministers lost their parliamentary seats after Tonga’s Supreme Court dismissed their appeals over bribery convictions.
Fakahau was a Member of the PTOA Party when he was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Tonga at the 2014 Tongan general election. He was appointed by the then Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pōhiva as Minister for Agriculture, Food, Forestry and Fisheries.
His portfolio was split in January 2019, with another Minister taking Agriculture, Food, and Forestry and Fakahau retaining Fisheries.
Following the death of ʻAkilisi he was not appointed to the cabinet of Pōhiva Tuʻiʻonetoa.
He was re-elected in the 2021 election and in December that year he was appointed to the Cabinet of Hu’akavameiliku as Minister of Fisheries.
Meanwhiles, people from Tongatapu 4, 6 and 7 electorates will head to the polls next week to vote in by elections to replace the three Cabinet Minsters who lost their seats after their bribery convictions.
Tonga’s victory over PNG’s Kumuls rugby league team has sparked an overreaction on social media, with the Mate Ma’a Tonga (MMT) fans receiving death threats and abuse online.
Tonga had survived a scare at the hands of Papua New Guinea to claim a 24-18 Rugby League World Cup win on Wednesday.
Following the game Tongan supporters took to social media to celebrate but at the same time some received offensive messages and posts in what appeared to be from their rival fans.
Some of those posts and messages included threatening to “murder any Tongans in PNG” after the game, and a name of what appeared to be a Tongan priest in that country was mentioned.
The threats had been taken seriously by some Tongan Facebook groups which said they stopped posting anything that could further escalate the situation because they did not want any innocent Tongans in PNG to be targeted.
The 24-18 defeat in front of 10,409 fans was heartbreaking for the PNG side after its captain Rhys Martin converted to square the game at 18-18 late in the second half.
Isaiya Katoa missed the chance to put Tonga ahead with a 75th-minute penalty but, to his relief, his side didn’t need it with Keaon Koloamatangi’s late try giving Tonga the lead.
The next assignment for Mate Ma’a Tonga is against Wales at Totally Wicked Stadium in St Helens on October 25 (5.30am AEDT) while the Kumuls face Cook Islands the following day in Warrington.
Free COVID-19 antiviral medicines are available to treat eligible people with COVID-19.
The drugs are meant to be taken within five days of symptoms starting. It is estimated that up to one million people may be eligible for treatment.
Research by the Public Health Agency, found Pasifika and Māori, those with underlying health conditions and older Kiwis were among those who have a much higher risk of dying from the virus.
The Ministry of Health said that if taken early in COVID-19 illness, the drugs had proven to reduce hospitalisation and death.
People with a high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 may be eligible for treatment with COVID-19 antiviral medicines.
Eligible people must start taking COVID-19 medicines within the first five days of getting COVID-19 symptoms.
The three anti-virals available are Nirmatrelvir with ritonavir (branded as Paxlovid), Molnupiravir (branded as Lagevrio) and Rremdesivir, an infusion treatment (branded as Veklury).
Paxlovid is produced by Pfizer. A report in the New Zealand Herald claimed it had been found to reduce the risk of hospital admission or dying from the virus by up to 86 per cent.
Side effects included an impaired sense of taste, diarrhoea, increased blood pressure and muscle aches. These effects were said to be mild.
“While vaccination remains the most effective way to help prevent Covid-19, antiviral treatments provide a strong second line of defence for those most at risk,” Pfizer’s New Zealand medical director, Krishan Thiru said.
To be eligible for COVID-19 antiviral medicines, people must have symptoms and have tested positive for COVID-19 or have symptoms and be a household contact of a person with COVID-19
To be eligible, people must also be aged over 65 years, be over 50 years old if they are of Pacific or Maori descent, be over 50 and not have completed a primary course of COVID-19 vaccinations, have a severely weakened immune system, have Downs syndrome or have sickle cell disease.
People may also be eligible if they have any combination of three high risk medical conditions. These include cancer, chronic lung or airways disease, serious heart conditions such as congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, rheumatic heart disease, congenital heart disease, diabetes or chronic kidney disease, or if they have previously been admitted to critical care or high dependency care as a result of COVID-19 and have tested positive again.
If eligible, people may be able to get a prescription from their usual healthcare provider, or the medicine may be supplied without a prescription from some pharmacies.
If people are at risk of severe illness from COVID-19, they may be able to get a prescription for an antiviral medicine from their usual general practice before they get sick. This means the pharmacy will have the prescription ready to use if they become unwell. If people test positive and develop symptoms, they can then arrange to have the medicine delivered by friends or family. Some pharmacies will deliver.
The Ministry of Health has warned that the medicines may not be suitable for everyone, even if they met eligibility criteria.
New cases
Last week the Ministry of Health announced 11,205 new community cases of Covid-19 in the country in the past week, up from under 10,000 new cases the prior weeks.
New Zealand has also recorded its first case of the new Omicron subvariant BQ.1.1
The BQ.1.1 variant is already causing cases to surge in Europe.
You can find more detailed information here about the anti-viral treatment on the Ministry of Health website
FAKAMATALA FAKATONGA
‘Oku lava ke ma’u ‘a e fo’i’akau ‘enitivailolo ki he Koviti ki he kakai ‘oku nau puke he vailasi.
Ko e fo’i’akau ko eni ke folo ia ‘i loto ‘i he ‘aho nima ‘o ‘ene kamata ‘asi’. ‘Oku fakafuofua ‘e a’u ki he taha miliona e kakai ‘e lava ken au faito’o heni’.
Mei lahi foki e kakai Pasifiki mo Mauli ‘oku ‘i ai honau ngaahi mahaki tauhi kau ki heni mo e kau Kiwi matu’otu’a ange’ pea ‘e lava ke lahi ange faingamalie ken au mate mei he Koviti’.
Fakatatau ki he Potungaue Mo’ui kuo ‘osi fakamo’oni’i ‘a e tokoni ‘a e faito’o kona fakangofua (drugs) ke ne fakasi’isi’i ‘a e tokoto fale mahaki mo e mate’.
The three anti-virals available are Nirmatrelvir with ritonavir (branded as Paxlovid), Molnupiravir (branded as Lagevrio) and Rremdesivir, an infusion treatment (branded as Veklury).
Ko e Paxlovid ‘oku fa’u ia ‘e he Faisa. Na’e pehe ‘e ha lipooti ‘a e New Zealand Herald na’e fa’u ‘eni ke ne fakasi’isi’i ‘a e fakatu’utāmaki ‘e ala fakatokoto ai ‘i fale mahaki pe mate ‘i he vailasi ‘e ala a’u ki he pēseti ‘e 86.
Ko e tafa’aki kovi ‘o e faito’o’ ni ‘e kau ai ‘a e ongo’i mamatea, fakalele, lahi ange ‘a e toto mā’olunga mo e langa ‘a e uoua’. Ko e ngaahi ola ‘eni kuo taku ‘o pehē ‘oku tō lotoloto pe.
Lolotonga ‘a e hoko ‘a e huhu malu’i ko e to’omotafi taha ia ke ne malu’i ‘a e Koviti 19, ‘oku fakaai ‘e he antivirual ha ngaahi faito’o malu’i hono ua kia kinautolu ‘oku tu’u he tu’unga fakatu’utanaki.
Kuopau ke ma’u ‘e he kakai ‘a e faka’ilonga ‘o e Koviti pe tesi positive he Koviti pe ‘i ai ha taha honau fale’ ne ma’u ‘e he Koviti’ kae lava ke toki ma’u ha’ane fo’i’akau ‘enitivailolo.
‘E lava ke ma’u foki ‘e he kakai ‘a e ‘enitīvailolo ko ‘eni’ kapau kuo ma’u ‘a e mahaki tauhi hangē ko e kanisā, mahaki’ia ‘a e ma’ama’a pe halanga mānava’, mafu hangē ko e mahaki ki he halanga toto mo e lumetiki, konisenitolo, suka pe mahaki’ia ‘a e kofuua’, ne ‘osi ‘ave kinautolu ki ha tokangaeikina’anga mahaki tuunga ‘i hano tesi positive kinautolu ‘i he Koviti’.
‘E lava ke ma’u ‘a e pelesikulipisini ko ‘eni mei he toketā fakafamili’ pe ‘e lava pe ma’u ‘ikai ha pelesikulipisini.
Mutated versions of the Covid-19 virus that have appeared in New Zealand this year do not appear to have increased the severity of the disease.
Covid-19
According to the Ministry of Health public health precautions already in place to manage the Omicron variant are still working.
The latest version was detected in July.
A total of six mutations have been identified so far this year. Omicron was first detected in New Zealand in an international traveller who arrived in the country on 10 December 2021. Managed isolation was still being used at that time, so community spread of Omicron was not detected until mid-January.
Two Omicron sub-variants, BA.1 and BA.2, were introduced into New Zealand around the same time. BA.2 became dominant during the first three months of 2022.
BA.2 is the dominant version of the disease circulating in New Zealand at the moment.
New Omicron sub-variants BA.2.12.1, BA.4 and BA.5 were identified in travellers to New Zealand in late April 2022. These sub-variants were common overseas and likely to gradually replace BA.2, the Ministry said.
The Omicron subvariant BA.2.75 was detected in New Zealand for the first time on July 1, 2022 in two people who arrived in New Zealand.
Experts are still working out how it is transmitted, how it responds to immunisation and how severe it is.
There is no current evidence that it leads to more severe disease.
Because of the changes to the virus, the Omicron variant is more resistant to the protection provided by the original Pfizer vaccine, which was developed against the original SARS-CoV-2 virus.
However, the Ministry said the Pfizer vaccine still provided good protection from infection from the Omicron variant. Vaccination provided very good protection against developing severe disease if a person was infected.
Newer vaccines were being produced specifically for the Omicron variant, but had not yet been approved and were not in commercial production at this stage.
The Ministry said using public health precautions remained important to continue to protect New Zealand communities against Omicron. As well as vaccination, early detection of cases and isolation, staying home if you are sick, washing your hands, wearing a mask, improving ventilation and physical distancing remained important.
Vaccination figures
According to the Ministry’s latest report, the total number of vaccine doses administered nationally is 11,795,062.
The latest national vaccination figures show 596,464 second boosters have been administered.
A total of 2,732,622 first booster shots have been administered.
A total of 90.2% of people over 12 have completed a primary course.
A total of 39.4% of people over 50 eligible for a second booster have received one.
A total of 73.2% of people aged over 18 eligible for a first booster have received one.
Pacific Peoples
According to the Ministry’s latest report, 1123 Pacific Peoples aged between 16 and 7 have had their first booster. A total of 151,445 Pacific Peoples over 18 have received their first booster. A total of 18, 30 Pacific Peoples aged over 50 have received a second booster.
FAKAMATALA FAKATONGA
‘I ai e tui ko e vesini ‘o e vailasi Koviti 19 kuo ‘asi ‘i Nu’u Sila ni he ta’u ni ‘e ‘ikai ke ne tafunaki ‘e ia ‘a e kakaha e tupulaki ‘a e mahaki.
Fakatatau eni ki he fakatokanga mei he Potungaue Mo’ui ke tokangaekina’aki ‘a e Omikoloni.
Ko e e fotunga maliuliungofua pe muteisini ‘e ono ‘o e ‘Omikoloni kuo lava tala he ta’u ni . Ne ‘uluaki ‘ilo ‘a e ‘Omikoloni ‘i Nu’u Sila ‘i ha’ane hū mai ‘i ha taha folau fakavaha’apule’anga ‘o tu’uta mai ‘i Tisema ‘aho 10 2021. Na’e kei ngaue’aki ‘i he taimi ko ia ‘a hono fakamavahe’i ha taha ‘e puke, ko ia ai ne toki a’u mai ki he konga loto ‘o Sanuali kuo ‘ilo kuo ‘osi ma’u ‘a e ‘Omikoloni ‘i he komiunitii’.
Ko e ‘Omikoloni sub-variants ‘e ua ‘a ia ko e BA.1 and BA.2, ne hu mai ia ki Nu’u Sila ‘i he mei taimi tatau pe. Kae lahi ange ‘asi ‘a e BA.2 ‘i he ‘uluaki māhina ‘e tolu ‘o e 2022.
Ko e BA.2 ‘oku lolotonga malohi ‘ene fakaaoaao ‘i Nu’u Sila he taimi ni.
Na’e fuofua ‘ilo ‘a e fotunga subvariant BA.2.75 o e ‘Omikoloni ‘i Nu’u Sila ‘i Siulai ‘aho 2022 ‘i ha toko ua ne na tu’uta mai.
Oku kei ngaue ‘a e kau mataotao ke ‘ilo pe na’e anga fefe ‘ene mafola, angafefe ‘ene fute ki he huhu malu’i pea ‘oku kakaha fefe ‘ene fakatu’utamaki’.
Oku te’eki ai ha fakamooni ‘e hoko ‘eni ko ha mahaki kakaha.
Koeuhi ko e ngaahi liliu ki he vaalasi ‘oku mākalo ange ‘a e Omikoloni taimi ‘oku na fetakai ai mo e huhu malu’i ‘olisinolo Faisa, ‘a ia na’e fa’u ia ke malu’i ‘a e vailasi SARS-CoV-2.
Neongo ia kuo pehē ‘e Potungāue Mo’ui ‘oku kei lelei pe malu’i ‘a e huhu malu’i Faisā.
Ko e ngaahi vekisini fo’ou ange ko e fa’u ia ki he fotunga fo’ou ‘o e ‘Omikoloni, ka ‘oku te’eki ‘apuluvu ia pea ‘oku te’eki fakatau atu foki.
Pehe foki ‘e he Potungaue ‘oku kei mahuinga ‘a e ngaahi fakatokanga kuo tuku mai ke malu’i ‘a e ngaahi komiuniti Nu’u Sila mei he ‘Omikoloni’. Fakataha pe huhu malu’i, ko hono ‘uluaki ‘ilo ha ngaahi keisi ke fakamavahe’i, nofo ‘i ‘api kapau ‘oku ke puke, fanofano ho nima, tui ‘a e masaki, fakalahilahi ‘a e hū’anga ‘ea ki he feitu’u ‘oku ke nofo ai ‘oku kei fu’u mahu’inga ia.
Fakatatau ki he lipooti fakamuimui ‘a e Potungaue ko e fo’i huhu malu’i kuo huhu’i fakafonua ‘eni ‘e 11,795,062.
Ko e fika fakamuimui ko ia ‘oku ‘i ai ‘a e fo’i huhu pusita hono ua ‘e 596,464 mo e huhu malu’i pusitā ‘uluaki ‘e 2,732,622. Ko e fakakatoa ko e peseti ‘e 90.2% o e fanau ta’u ‘ova he 12 kuo lava fakakakato.
Peseti e 39.4% ‘ova he ta’u 50 kuo nau ‘osi huhu pusita.
Pea peseti ‘e 73.2 kakai ‘ova he ta’u 18 kuo ‘osi lava honau ‘uluaki huhu pusita.
Fakatatau ki he lipooti fakamuimui ‘a e Potungaue Mo’ui ko e kakai Pasifiki ‘e toko 1123 vaha’a ta’u 16 mo e 7 kuo ‘osi lava honau huhu pusitā. Ko e toko 151,445 ‘a e kakai Pasifiki ‘ova ‘i he ta’u 18 kuo ‘osi lava honau huhu pusitā ‘uluaki pea toko 1830 ‘ova he ta’u 50 kuo pusitā ua.
