Updated
April 26, 2020 06: 28: 55
About 250 COVID-19 cases doesn’t seem like all that many.
In some countries, if that was the number of new cases in a day, authorities would be happy.
That’s the total number of cases across the Pacific (excluding Australia and Hawaii). But there are still signs that should have Australia worried about its nearest neighbours.
There are concerns some countries could just be running a few weeks behind other parts of the world, and the Pacific has been identified as particularly vulnerable if hit by coronavirus.
Pacific Island countries are aware of the risks they face and have been proactive in guarding against the disease, with 10 countries yet to record a single case.
But even in countries that are coronavirus-free, the fallout of lockdowns around the world and economic uncertainty could be particularly hard felt.
What is happening in the Pacific?
So far there are 255 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Pacific Islands region and seven people have died as a result.
The majority are in the US territory of Guam, which has 140 confirmed local cases and has also recorded cases on board a US Navy ship docked on the island.
Among Australia’s neare