By C19 news staff , November 2020

The dreamy landscapes gave way to scenes of anxiety and queues to be tested in the laboratories .

The first wave had been well managed, but when the airport opened with its flow of tourists, especially Americans, the situation was predictable.

The Polynesian economy is essentially based on tourism and it had become essential to open the borders to meet the demand for hotels and other businesses associated with tourism, but what happened to make the situation get so out of control?

More than 12,000 contaminated and 53 deaths, that's considerable. It is obvious that the health management at the arrival of the tourists did not give the expected results.

Letting tourists in, without confining them to their hotel, the time to receive their results has surely favored these disastrous results.

The half measure of curfew has not reduced the numbers of contaminated people and recently containment has been denied by the government.

It would be a good idea to look at the past and the Spanish flu crisis in 1919.

Thus L'Illustration in a 1919 issue tells in detail the drama of Tahiti where the pandemic took on dramatic proportions. On November 16, 1918, a liner, the Navua, coming from San Francisco docked in Papeete. There are several flues on board. However, the disembarkation is authorized. In spite of the death of several sailors, the authorities minimize the affair. They even authorized the organization of celebrations in honor of France's victory over Germany. The rest is appalling... In less than twelve hours, half of the island's population fell ill. The hospital is overwhelmed by the influx of influenza. The only three doctors on the island die. The stores close. Soon, it is difficult to get food and bread. Everything is missing. The streets are empty. Only the carts still circulate, carrying the corpses to the mass grave. Help arrives too late. More than 1,000 people died out of a population of 5,000. That's 20 times more victims than the cyclone of 1906!

In July 2020, the main idea was to save tourism and bring back tourists, at that time, Tahiti enjoyed the status of Green covid travel because very few cases had been detected but since the reopening of the airport, it is a tragedy.

Tahiti has lost everything, its special status of "green covid". President Edouard Fritch is sincere in his will to protect the economy of the country and the Polynesian people but it is important to act quickly.

The Covid 19 virus is deadly, saving the economy is good, saving lives is better.

November 20 2020

https://www.service-public.pf/dsp/2020/11/20/chiffres-cles-covid-19-201120/