More residents repatriated to Tahiti after Covid-19 wait in France

Another 152 people have been flown to French Polynesia on a French government-sponsored relief flight from Paris.

The French High Commission said the chartered Air Tahiti Nui plane carried, apart from freight, returning residents and members of mobile police squad who would be quarantined in the barracks.

Four more such flights are planned until the end of June when scheduled airline services are expected to resume.

Hundreds of residents remain stranded in France, with no additional plans to accelerate their return.

Meanwhile, the government eased restrictions on the sale of alcohol so designated wine shop and liquor outlets can open except for Sunday afternoons.

The territory recorded 89 Covid-19 positive tests but keeps two tallies, with the 29 Ecuadorians tested in Nuku Hiva this week being listed as transit cases because most are on their fishing vessel off Tahiti.

One of the Ecuadorians was flown from Nuku Hiva to the hospital in Tahiti where he is in intensive care.