Results for COVID-19

Twenty new positive COVID-19 tests were reported in Tonga today, and they are all close contacts and family members of previous cases.

Two ports workers might have contracted COVID-19 early last week due to 'human error' said Ministry of Health CEO Dr Siale 'Akau'ola, yesterday, Feb. 6. The Omicron variant is suspected in the Tonga outbreak and expected to be confirmed later this week, when the virus test results come from Australia.

No further COVID-19 positive cases were found in Tonga, after negative tests were returned for 389 port workers yesterday, the Prime Minister Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni told a media conference today. The number of active cases has reduced from five to four.

Two repatriation flights to Tonga from Vanuatu and Auckland, New Zealand, are scheduled to arrive at Fua'amotu Int'l Airport next week on January 18 and 20 respectively, the Ministry of Health CEO, Dr Siale 'Akau'ola confirmed this afternoon.

There has been considerable opposition to vaccine mandates – opposition that I have argued is misguided. When both a vaccinated and an unvaccinated patient with COVID-19 need the last available bed in a hospital’s intensive care unit, the vaccinated patient should get it. Those who view vaccination as a “personal choice” need to bear personal responsibility for choosing to place others’ lives at risk. Exceptions should be made for those few patients for whom vaccination is contra-indicated on medical grounds, but not for those who claim to have religious grounds for exemption. No major religion rejects vaccination, and if some people choose to interpret their religious beliefs as requiring them to avoid vaccination, then they, and not others, should bear the consequences. By Peter Singer

Fiji is experiencing a resurgence in COVID-19 cases with 580 new cases over two days January 2-3. Fiji's Ministry of Health and Medical Services confirmed community transmission of both the Omicron and Delta variants of the virus in the country. “As with previous variants, unvaccinated people are at higher risk of severe disease,” stated Fiji's Health Ministry. Fiji has recorded a total of 702 deaths from COVID-19. By Eleanor Gee.

Tonga's 21-month long night time curfew will be eased slightly for New Year's Eve, 31 December, when the curfew will commence from 2:00am to 5:00am instead of starting at midnight. During the National Prayer Week 2022 it will commence from midnight to 3:00am, under Tonga’s Health State of Emergency that has been renewed for another month from today to 17 January 2022.

New York Times reporting: An early study of coronavirus test results in South Africa suggests that, so far, patients infected with the omicron variant may be hospitalized less often than patients infected with earlier versions of the virus. The study — which was released Tuesday and is based on only three weeks of data — also shows that vaccines are not as effective against the variant, which poses a higher risk of breakthrough infections. Booster shots increased the Pfizer vaccine’s efficacy against infection.

Essential COVID-19 supplies and oxygen equipment was donated to the Ministry of Health from the Government of Australia, after the cargo arrived on November 30 at Fua'amotu International Airport.