Pacific Islanders hit hard by Coronavirus in California
Pacific Islander communities in California have faced economic and health disparties that make them vulnerable to the coronavirus reports abc10 news. and LAist.com
For two weeks in March, Dr. Raynald Samoa fought to move air through his lungs. After recovering from COVID-19, the Los Angeles-based diabetes specialist posted videos on Facebook urging others to stay home. His posts resonated with California’s small but tight-knit Pacific Islander community as questions and stories flooded his inbox.
One family described the anguish and guilt of watching a loved one struggle out of bed to the ambulance — “the least Pacific thing that you can do,” Samoa said — because the first responders wouldn’t come inside. Another family revealed how three breadwinners were hospitalized with the disease, unable to care for their kids.
Prime Minister of Samoa's response to the New Zealand Law Society
GOVT. PRESS SECRETARIAT;
Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi has responded to New Zealand Law Society President Tiana Epati’s “serious concerns” with the constitutional law reforms under review in Samoa.
The Prime Minister’s reply is published verbatim.
“There is no place for the President of an overseas Law Society to use that organization’s name to try to lecture us or interfere with our country’s democratic processes.
Samoa’s Government is trying to create a Specialist Court of Appeal for its own cultural Lands and Titles to be legally acknowledged and preserved.
It is a matter now at Select Committee for public consultation, and it is a matter for Samoa. In short, it is none of your overseas presidential business.
All the best as you concentrate on the needs of all your society’s members, and we will concentrate on looking after our own country-Samoa.…more
Root crop planting programme a 'God Send' for Aitutaki during the Covid19 lockdown
By Florence Syme-Buchanan
A root crop planting programme in Aitutaki started ten months ago by Amuri/Ureia MP Terepai Maoate is providing staples for the entire island that’s been in lockdown since March.
Originally the planting was to produce enough root crops for the 2021 bicentennial celebrations of the arrival of Christianity to the island.
“With what has happened the world over and the island in indefinite lockdown, no revenue from tourism for an unknown time, the plantations have proven a God-send for our island at this time,” says Maoate.
There have been two more planting phases since the first taro, tarua, kumara and maniota were planted almost a year ago and privately funded by Maoate – the most recent just before Aitutaki and the rest of the Pa Enua went into lockdown. Harvesting of the first crop started earlier this year.…more
How a Pasifika family of 8 survived after contracting Covid-19
When three members of the Havea family of Christchurch tested positive for Covid-19, they had to rely on their strong faith and their love for each other to get them through the challenging times.
Kilifi Havea, 42, his wife Seneti, 47, and their daughter Frances, 19, caught the contagious virus and were forced to quarantine themselves in the large family home they share with their five other children, whose ages range from 9 to 18.
“There was so much going on in my mind. It was a very hard time,” says Kilifi.
His wife contracted the virus while working as a senior carer at the Rosewood Rest Home in Christchurch, one of the worst clusters in the country. To date, eleven residents staying at the rest home have died from Covid-19.
Seneti tested positive at the beginning of April and soon after Kilifi and Frances also caught the virus. Once they were confirmed the rest of the family were immediately tested for the virus.…more
#CocoLockdown - Poly Videos of the Week Pt4
Our Poly peeps around the world have continued to let their creativity flow & are keeping us all entertained online in our bubbles.
Here's some of the videos that caught our eye this week!
Check out more of our Lockdown Best Poly Videos of the week -
Week 1 here Week 2 here and Week 3 here
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Compiled by Adrian Mcbirney
OCEANS APART: TREVOR LEOTA
202 x club appearances Wasps 🐝
30 x Caps 🇼🇸
9 x Major trophies 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Wasps & Samoan legend Trevor Leota opens up about his upbringing, career, life lessons and biggest regrets...
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Credits: Pacific Rugby Players Welfare
CORONAVIRUS WEEK 7 - COVID19 PACIFIC UPDATE
The CoconetTV ongoing Pacific Islands updates for our community in Aotearoa and the Pacific region.
To catch up on previous updates click here
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End of week round up -
NEW ZEALAND - Director of Public health Dr Caroline McElnay updated today and said that we have 1252 cases that are reported as having recovered from Covid-19, which is an increase of 11 from yesterday, and so 85 percent of all our confirmed and probable cases are considered to be recovered.
She said there are now a total of 1132 confirmed cases and 347 probable cases. There are still 16 significant clusters, but Dr McElnay said one cluster has not seen new cases in 28 days and will be closed. Today is the 13th day in a row that the increase in Covid-19 cases had been in single digits. The death toll stands at 19.…more
SAMOA: Not Closed Today!
By Molilaauifoga’a Seanoa
Schools are shut, most shops are closed, and smoke from the umu wafts over our village. No, it’s not a typical Sunday in Samoa. It’s a a typical Tuesday on the first week of the State of Emergency Lockdown. That was 6 weeks ago. SOE rules have relaxed a little since then, but as a mum of 5 young children—taking care of an extended family household of 10 people—I’m not taking any unnecessary risks.
Today our country’s borders remain shut. Schools are still closed. Markets and shops have restricted opening hours and outside of our bubbles, we cannot congregate in groups of more than five people. That means no mass gatherings which is difficult when you consider that we are largely a church-going nation. On a normal Sunday—pre-lockdown—our household would wake up before the crack of dawn to attend morning mass. Now, we worship from home and only go to church to receive Holy Communion—our parish allowing one family bubble at a time to enter. God is not closed today!
My daughters love dressing up.…more
Pacific Mamas in Lockdown Pt3
Pacific mamas in lockdown, the Island soap opera continues as a Cook Islands dance group end up being in one big bubble for NZ Alert Level 4 and Alert Level 3. What does Alert Level 3 mean for these Islanders?
Who will stand in the McDonald's line? who will get to hook up with bae? will there be housie? who will have a shower? all this and more in this weeks episode of #IslandMamasBubble
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CREDITS:
Shot, Directed, Edited and acted by Rongomai
Additional Editing and Graphics by Adrian Mcbirney
FB: Ron-Go
YouTube: Rongomai Taiapa-Aporo
Insta: rongo___
Nesian Dance Class with Julia Mage'au Gray
Julia Mage'au Gray from Sunameke Productions takes us through a short, Nesian dance class which explores movement from parts of Melanesia and Polynesia.