The Ministry of Health says a passenger who arrived in Vanuatu on 1 December 2021 on a flight from Australia has been confirmed as an active case of Covid-19.
The passenger met all health requirements to travel to Vanuatu, including vaccination and testing, and is currently in quarantine.
However, the traveler has no symptoms of Covid-19.
Samples will be sent overseas to determine the Covid-19 variant.
Preparations are underway to transfer the person to the isolation ward at Vila Central Hospital. Contact tracing has determined that there are no close contacts in the country.
Currently there is no indication of Covid-19 cases in the community. However, Efate and Offshore Islands will today move to Alert Level 1 (medium risk) due to the case at the border.
The rest of the country remains at Alert Level 0 (low risk).
The ministry said Covid-19 is widespread throughout the world with community transmission now in countries that are common transit points to Vanuatu. Therefore, the risk of importation of Covid-19 is increasing.
The processes and procedures for detecting and containing Covid-19 cases at the border remain important to prevent community transmission in Vanuatu.
“The best way to protect yourself, your family and your community is to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19. WHO-recommended vaccines like AstraZeneca and Sinopharm are safe and effective. They reduce severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19. Vaccination operations will continue throughout December and January”.
The ministry has urged the public to ensure they are vaccinated in a timely manner.
Members of the public are urged to refer only to official information sources and avoid the spread of rumors and misinformation.