Credit / TV Niue
Niue has recorded its first Covid-19 positive case, a passenger on a flight from New Zealand.
“Niue has been very fortunate to date with our Covid programme and vaccination rollout to be possibly the only country in the world without the virus," Niue's Premier Dalton Tagelagi said Wednesday (NZ time).
"Luckily, with almost all of Niue’s eligible population vaccinated, this has slowed the spread of Covid transmission and will reduce the health impacts in those who may contract this virus.”
Tagelagi says the first case arrived on a Monday flight from New Zealand with 26 other passengers who tested negative before departure.
“The positive case is in quarantine and will be monitored closely by Niue’s health officials. We understand at this stage that the positive case is double vaccinated and boosted and had returned a negative PCR test 72 hours and RATs before boarding their flight from New Zealand.”
All other passengers have returned a negative Covid test but will be monitored and retested on Day 3 as per testing protocols, Premier Tagelagi said in a Niue government statement.
“We have expected this virus, we have prepared for it, and we are ready to contain its spread. We have remained vigilant; we have caught this case – and now I ask you to remain vigilant as well,” Premier Tagelagi told the people of Niue in a televised broadcast.
According to 2020 official figures, Niue has a population of approximately 1,568.