Virus-free South Pacific island nations rely on tourism but health systems will not be able to cope with an outbreak
Suva —
But the trade-offs are perhaps starker in the South Pacific islands than almost anywhere else on Earth. One notable exception is Fiji, where 18 cases have been reported though the authorities hope to be able to declare the islands virus-free later this month.Communities across the region rely heavily on tourism — in some places as much as 50% of GDP — that comes from parts of the world where Covid-19 has been actively spreading.
Chair of the Palau Visitors Authority Ngirai Tmetuchi said the idea was worth exploring “but we’d have to read the fine print and evaluate the risks”. “This is mutually beneficial given the tourists from Taiwan want to visit Palau for leisure and Palauans go to Taiwan for medical treatments and some leisure time as well.”“Right now, the Solomon Islands government’s priority is to finalise preparedness and response requirements such as in-country testing and facilitate repatriation of stranded citizens within the region,” a spokesperson for Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said.
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