French Polynesia hit hard by COVID, straining ties with Paris
ABCFrance's worst coronavirus outbreak is unfolding 12 time zones away from Paris, devastating Tahiti and other idyllic islands of French Polynesia. Key points: French Polynesia relies upon the central government for healthcare The French government promised this week to send 100 more healthcare workers to help after weeks of pleading by Polynesian officials Of the 463 virus-related deaths reported there throughout the pandemic, most took place over the past month The South Pacific archipelagos lack enough oxygen, ICU beds and morgue space — and their vaccination rate is barely half the national average. French Polynesia, whose 118 islands stretch across an area as large as Europe, has broad autonomy from Paris but relies on the central government for health care. We have said it before: we cannot get by without it," Tony Tekuataoa, the head of emergency services at the French Polynesia Hospital Centre in Tahiti, told local television. The territory has one bright spot: Nuku Hiva, in the Marquesas Islands, where French Polynesia's vaccination campaign began in January and 85 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated.
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