Tonga is one of eight countries in the Pacific region that remain CoViD-19-free as of today 4 November.

In the Pacific, the Solomon Islands, Wallis and Futuna and the Marshall Islands recently reported CoViD-19 cases.

Only two countries outside the Pacific region, North Korea and Turkmenistan, have not reported any cases of the coronavirus to the World Health Organisation, but their Covid-free status has been questioned because both repressive states are renowned for censorship.

CoViD-19 free countries include:

1. Tonga
2. Nauru
3. Tuvalu
4. Palau
5. Republic of Micronesia
6. Kiribati
7. Samoa
8. Vanuatu

No reported cases of CoViD-19:

1. North Korea
2. Turkmenistan

Other dependencies or territories in the Pacific region that also do not have the virus include:

• American Samoa (USA)
• Cook Islands (partly New Zealand)
• Niue (partly New Zealand)
• Tokelau (New Zealand)
• Pitcairn Islands (UK)
• Norfolk Islands (Australia)

According to the World Health Organization, there have been over 46.8 million CoViD-19 confirmed cases, including over 1.2 million deaths reported on 3 November.

Quarantine free travel

Meanwhile, in the Pacific region, mandatory quarantine has been eased for travellers from New Zealand [2] to the Cook Islands [3] and to Australia [4] with conditions.

Cook Island permanent residents, permit holders, resident permit holders and Cook Islanders (as verified via Cook Islands Status stamp) who are permitted to travel from New Zealand to the Cook Islands no longer need to spend 14 days in supervised quarantine on arrival.

However, they must comply with health requirements which include a negative CoViD-19 test result taken within 96 hours before departing Auckland, an exit health clearance from Auckland International Airport, and spent at least 14 days in New Zealand prior to entry into the Cook Islands.

People can also travel quarantine-free from New Zealand to New South Wales and the Northern Territory in Australia under conditions. These include spending 14 days or more in New Zealand and not been in a designated hotspot before travelling, and ensure they are travelling to Australia on a quarantine-free flight.

Meanwhile, New Zealand still requires travellers to enter managed isolation or quarantine on arrival.