Wellington - (AFP) - The Cook Islands, a small country located in the South Pacific, announced its first death from Covid-19 on Sunday, more than two years after the outbreak of the epidemic.

A 63-year-old woman who was suffering from health problems died while being transported to a hospital on the island of Aitutaki late Saturday.
Prime Minister Mark Brown said in a statement Sunday, "We regret to announce the first death related to Covid-19 in our country."

He added, "The woman received the three doses of the vaccine, but at the same time she was suffering from health problems."

The archipelago nation was spared from COVID-19 until the Omicron variant spread after borders were opened to travelers from New Zealand at the start of the year.

The archipelago's health ministry said it had so far recorded 4,727 COVID-19 cases, including 735 cases that, as of Sunday morning, were still positive.