Samoa and Vanuatu have recorded their first Covid-19 related deaths.
Samoa's Ministry of Health confirmed a 67-year-old with multiple ailments died shortly after he was admitted to the Lalomanu District hospital on Upolu Island on Wednesday.
The death comes 13 days after the first community transmission case was detected.
The ministry said 172 new cases had been reported as of Thursday afternoon.
This brings the number of community cases recorded since March 17 to 1831 of which 1408 are active community cases.

