The 135 passengers who were repatriated from New Zealand and Fiji last week have tested negative for COVID-19.

MEIDECC CEO Paula Ma’u today confirmed the negative results for the 108 repatriates from New Zealand on March 31.

The 27 who were repatriated from Fiji on the Lulutai Airlines on April 1 were also all negative.

All of the passengers are quarantined at Tanoa Hotel,.

Twenty outgoing passengers had earlier departed on the flight to Fiji.

“The next repatriation tentative flights are scheduled for April 28 possibly from New Zealand and Australia. We are also looking at another Fiji repatriation on April 30 but we will confirm soon,” said Paula.

Vaccination

Tonga is on schedule to roll out the start of its COVID-19 vaccination program on April 15.

This was after the first 24,000 doses of the COVID-19 AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccines arrived at Fua'amotu International Airport last week.

Frontliners and people vulnerable to the virus will be the first to receive the jab. This includes staff from the Health Ministry, Tonga Police, HMAF, Tonga Fire and Emergency Services, ports and airport.

Health is expected to release more details on how this roll out procedure will be carried out before then.