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2022
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Tuesday 8 February 2022 5:02pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Six new COVID-19 positive cases were announced by Prime Minister Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni today Tuesday, Feb. 8, bringing the total number of active positive cases in Tonga to 13. They are all close contacts of earlier cases. Two were believed infected while kava drinking at Pili, and the other four are a family of an earlier case at Vaini, with both areas are identified as hotspots in the current outbreak.
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Monday 7 February 2022 11:28pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Progress has been slow today, Monday, in the search for the Fiji end of Tonga's submarine telecommunications cable - suspected to be broken in several places. Bad weather and rough seas persist in the area. The cable repair ship Reliance recovered the Tonga end of the international cable over the weekend, and secured it at 7:00am Saturday. The ship also recovered a 1.2km long piece of separated submarine cable. Premium content -
Monday 7 February 2022 10:05pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : 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. Premium content -
Sunday 6 February 2022 9:07pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Two new COVID-19 positive cases, bring the active number to seven for Tonga, Prime Minister Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni, told a Sunday afternoon press conference. The 48-hours national lockdown, which expired today at 6:00pm, has been extended for 14-days for Tongatapu and Vava’u, as testing and vaccinations are continued. Premium content -
Sunday 6 February 2022 8:21pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : After two weeks of scrambling for satellite connectivity, one of Tonga's two main telecommunications networks started rolling out more data capacity last week. But there's simply not enough capacity to meet national demand, and allocation of bandwidth has to be carefully managed, until the fibre optic cable is repaired. Premium content -
Saturday 5 February 2022 3:07pm
Wellington, Aotearoa New Zealand : Aotearoa New Zealand is donating an additional 9,300 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to Tonga, and $3 million in humanitarian funding. A Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130 Hercules has departed Base Auckland Whenuapai earlier today, Feb. 5, carrying the vaccines, rapid antigen tests, and equipment to support re-establishing the electrical network. Premium content -
Friday 4 February 2022 8:03pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : One new COVID-19 case was confirmed today from more tests conducted yesterday and last night, the Prime Minister Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni, said this afternoon. A total of 726 COVID tests had been done, following the first community transmission detected in Tonga on Feb. 1. More Pfizer vaccines are expected to arrive Saturday, for booster shots. By Eleanor Gee. Premium content -
Friday 4 February 2022 7:22pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Tonga's broken submarine telecommunications cable is not where it is supposed to be. A search last night by an ROV from the cable boat Reliance, could not locate the break, after it arrived in the area yesterday. By Linny Folau. Premium content -
Thursday 3 February 2022 9:40pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : 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. Premium content -
Thursday 3 February 2022 6:36pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Two people have been confirmed to have drowned last week in Vava’u, a 17 year old youth, and a 30 year old woman in separate incidents. Premium content -
Thursday 3 February 2022 6:29pm
Apia, Samoa : The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme is deeply concerned about the impact of the Hunga Tonga - Hunga Ha’apai underwater volcano eruption, and tsunami, on the people of Tonga, Director General, Mr Kosi Latu stated today. The events again highlighted the vulnerability of the Pacific region and its people to natural disasters. SPREP is working on ways to support Tonga during its environmental recovery and rebuilding phases. -
Wednesday 2 February 2022 5:34pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Three new positive COVID-19 cases have been confirmed for Tonga today, February 2 bringing the number to five in total. The new cases are a spouse (29) and their two children aged 4 and 3 years of one of the first two COVID-19 positive cases confirmed yesterday. Premium content -
Tuesday 1 February 2022 11:17pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Breaking news: Tonga has recorded its first two COVID-19 positive cases today, among the front liners handling incoming cargo shipments, Tonga's Prime Minister announced in a urgent press conference at 9:00pm. tonight, Tuesday. Tonga now faces its first COVID-19 lockdown before full telcommunications have been restored, and businesses and homes and communities are left without working internet. Premium content -
Tuesday 1 February 2022 10:40pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : A possibility that Tonga’s shellfish, Kaloa’a, and reef fish may be contaminated and inedible following the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption has been a major concern for the CEO for the Ministry of Fisheries, Dr Tu’ikolongahau Halafihi. Premium content -
Tuesday 1 February 2022 9:57pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : The Nomuka health clinic in Ha’apai, destroyed by tsunamis on January 15, is now operating temporarily out of a school in Nomuka, the Ministry of Health CEO, Dr Siale ‘Akau’ola, said today. Another health clinic that was damaged at Sopu, Tongatapu, has been closed. -
Tuesday 1 February 2022 9:43pm
Nuku’alofa, Tonga : Motesio Vaioleti (33), who knew he was driving with faulty brakes with his children in the vehicle, and crashed into another vehicle, was fined $300 pa’anga. Mr Justice Niu “This offence is serious,” said the Judge who recommended that the Legislature heavier penalties be legislated for this offence, because there are many vehicles on the road, “we should not wait until a life is lost,” he said. Premium content -
Monday 31 January 2022 10:57pm
Wellington, New Zealand : The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has provided Tongan communities with more than half a million litres of fresh water and continues to transport much-needed aid to Tonga with a fourth Hercules flight scheduled tomorrow, Tuesday. Premium content -
Monday 31 January 2022 10:24pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Damage estimated at nearly $39 million pa'anga was inflicted on Tonga’s agricultural sector by the Jan. 15 Hunga Tonga - Hunga Ha’apai eruption, which energised a tsunami and heavy volcanic ash fall over Tonga. While root crops that are ready to be harvested were not affected, the last season crops that were just sprouting were wiped out, said Viliami Manu, CEO for the Ministry of Agriculture. Premium content -
Monday 31 January 2022 6:02pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : Tulapa Samoa Pese (38) was sentenced to three-years imprisonment for causing serious bodily harm to a 22-year-old man with a machete at Lapaha. The judge found that the defendant carefully calculated and planned his attack. The way he carried out the attack was chilling, they ambushed the victim. “This is not only brutal; it is a cowardly behaviour to attack an unarmed person,” he said at the sentencing. Premium content -
Monday 31 January 2022 5:48pm
Nuku'alofa, Tonga : A man in his 40s was sentenced to two-years six-months imprisonment for three counts of serious indecent assault of a minor aged 12 years old, in Tongatapu. Hon. Mr Justice Cooper ordered there be no publication of any detail that could lead to the identification of the victim in this case. Premium content
