Source / The Government of the Republic of Nauru
The pacific nation of Nauru has confirmed its first two cases of Covid-19 over the weekend. Both were detected in quarantine.
The president of the republic, Lionel Aingimea, assured the community in a public address on Saturday that the two cases are safely contained in quarantine and that "Nauru remains safe and there is no cause for panic."
The two cases were passengers on a flight from Brisbane on Thursday.
"Both persons are well and do not have any symptoms and are being cared for by the medical team at the negative pressure Covid ward at the RON (Republic of Nauru) Hospital," a government statement said.
The Nauru government says two other people are also being quarantined in the Covid ward, including a spouse of one of the cases who travelled together with them.
"The hospital laboratory has detected very, very low levels of virus in this person and the levels appear to be decreasing. The trace amounts of virus material fall below the threshold and is classified as a negative result."
The fourth person was said to be a "borderline result" and so was also put in isolation at the acute ward. The person tested negative on Saturday but will remain under observation for now.
All passengers on the Brisbane flight were tested three times while in pre-travel safe accommodation, where they all remained until the transfer to the airport on Thursday, the government said.
"In fact, six other cases were detected earlier in the week and all were removed well before Thursday and none of them travelled to Nauru."