Fresh Caledonia locks down again over COVID cases

Fresh Caledonia will impose a brand original coronavirus lockdown beginning Tuesday after three original cases procure been confirmed in the South Pacific French territory that had been declared “COVID free,” officers said.

Local authorities ordered strict scamper restrictions on the open of the pandemic to care for far flung from an epidemic that can crush hospitals on the islands.

Beforehand correct 139 certain COVID-19 cases had been recorded among the many inhabitants of spherical 290,000, and no deaths.

Nonetheless vaccine hesitancy among the many indigenous Kanak inhabitants manner many contributors live inclined.

Factual 30 percent of residents are on the 2nd vaccinated, in comparison with 73 percent having at least one dose for France total.

The government announced final week that vaccination would now be wanted for all adults.

“The virus is spreading and it be seemingly that numerous dozens of Caledonians on the 2nd are contaminated,” said the territory’s president, Louis Mapou.

Colleges and universities shall be shut for the following 15 days, and face masks shall be required originate air.

Other folks can dart out only for work or for wanted activities equivalent to clinical visits, or for a most one hour of sport internal one kilometre of their homes.

Flights to and from the territory, to boot as intra-island flights, are suspended indefinitely other than for clinical personnel.

Already someone arriving to Fresh Caledonia has to quarantine for 15 days at government-requisitioned lodgings—a rule that prevented President Emmanuel Macron from visiting when he travelled to nearby French Polynesia in July.

© 2021 AFP