COVID-19 pandemic in Norfolk Island

Last updated
COVID-19 pandemic in Norfolk Island
Disease COVID-19
Virus strain SARS-CoV-2
Location Norfolk Island
First outbreak Wuhan, China
Arrival date30 December 2021
Confirmed cases1,051 [1]
Deaths
0
Fatality rate0%
Vaccinations1,727 (fully vaccinated) [2]

The COVID-19 pandemic in Norfolk Island was part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus was confirmed to have reached Norfolk Island on December 30, 2021. [3]

Contents

Background

On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019. [4]

The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003, [5] but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll. [6]

Timeline

COVID-19 cases in Norfolk Island  ()
     Deaths        Recoveries        Active cases
2021202120222022
DecDec
JanJanFebFeb
Last 15 daysLast 15 days
Date
# of cases
# of deaths
2021-12-30
0(n.a.)
2021-12-31
0(n.a.)
2022-01-01
0(n.a.)
2022-01-02
0(n.a.)
2022-01-03
0(n.a.)
2022-01-04
0(n.a.)
2022-01-05
0(n.a.)
2022-01-06
0(n.a.)
2022-01-07
0(n.a.)
2022-01-08
0(n.a.)
2022-01-09
0(n.a.)
2022-01-10
0(n.a.)
2022-01-11
0(n.a.)
2022-01-12
0(n.a.)
2022-01-13
0(n.a.)
2022-01-14
0(n.a.)
2022-01-15
0(n.a.)
2022-01-16
0(n.a.)
2022-01-17
0(n.a.)
2022-01-18
0(n.a.)
2022-01-19
0(n.a.)
2022-01-20
0(n.a.)
2022-01-21
0(n.a.)
2022-01-22
0(n.a.)
2022-01-23
0(n.a.)
2022-01-24
0(n.a.)
2022-01-25
0(n.a.)
2022-01-26
0(n.a.)
2022-01-27
0(n.a.)
0(n.a.)
2022-02-03
0(n.a.)
0(n.a.)
2022-02-10
0(n.a.)
Sources:

In March 2020, as a precautionary measure, the Norfolk Island Regional Council imposed a 32-day travel ban and declared a state of emergency. Administrator Eric Hutchinson stated that the measures were necessary due to the remote island's extremely limited health capacity. [7] Lockdown measures began to be lifted from 6 May 2020. [8]

Following outbreaks in the Australian Eastern States and Territories in mid-2021, Norfolk islands implemented further restrictions. COVID-19 support packages were made available for Norfolk Island businesses and residents. [9] COVID-19 was confirmed to have reached Norfolk Island on December 30, 2021. [10]

By January 26, 2022, 75 cases had been confirmed, with only one recovered. The cases were confirmed to be the Omicron variant of the corona virus. [11] Cases continued to spread for the remainder of the year. By mid October 2022, cases had reached a total of 1,051 and no deaths had occurred. [1] As the community infections had seemingly plateaued and the majority of the population had been vaccinated against COVID-19, the health authority ended all restrictions and health directions related to the pandemic in alignment with the lifting of measures in Queensland, Australia. [12]

Vaccination

Vaccinations started in August 2021. By February 10, 2022, 1,705 residents had received their first dose, 1,727 had received their second, and 1,244 had received a booster shot. A further 103 children aged 5-11 years had also received their first dose. [2]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "NIHRACS COVID-19 Update". www.facebook.com. 2022-10-14. Retrieved 2025-11-02.
  2. 1 2 "2022-02-10 EMNI Media Release" (PDF). www.nirc.gov.au. 10 February 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  3. "Media release" (PDF). norfolkisland.gov.nf. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-12-31. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  4. Elsevier. "Novel Coronavirus Information Center". Elsevier.com. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
  5. "Crunching the numbers for coronavirus". Imperial News. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
  6. "Coronavirus - guidance for anaesthesia and perioperative care providers". WFSA. 2020-06-25. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
  7. Davies, Jessie (2020-03-17). "State of emergency declared for Norfolk Island, travel ban imposed". ABC News. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
  8. Davies, Jessie (6 May 2020). "Norfolk Island lifts coronavirus lockdown measures to allow dining in cafes, restaurants and clubs". ABC News. Archived from the original on 5 May 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  9. "Supporting Norfolk Island businesses affected by COVID restrictions" . Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  10. Visontay, Elias (2022-01-06). "'Very vulnerable': first Covid outbreak in Norfolk Island raises concerns about health system". The Guardian. Retrieved 2022-01-08.
  11. "2022-07-01 EMNI Media Release" (PDF). www.nirc.gov.au. 7 January 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  12. "NIHRACS COVID-19 Update". www.facebook.com. 2022-10-15. Retrieved 2025-11-02.