124 arrested for breaching Tongatapu lockdown restrictions [1]
Tuesday, November 9, 2021 - 18:29
By Linny Folau
Tonga Police made 124 arrests, including 36 people who gathered to drink kava, for breaching restrictions directions and curfews, during Tongatapu's one-week lockdown from November 2-8.
Those arrested have been charged under the Emergency Management Act.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Tevita Vailea said today that the 124 arrested were for breaches of the COVID-19 lockdown Tongatapu Restictions Directions, mostly committed in the Nuku'alofa area.
He said 36 were arrested for gathering as a group to drink kava at various venues, including homes and kava clubs.
While, 43 people were arrested for failure to comply with the curfew hours, including 28 pedestrians, 11 drivers and four passengers.
Another 19 people were also arrested for gathering to drink alcohol at various homes, while others were arrested for drunken driving, among other charges, he said.
Police also dispatched over 200 officers manning various road check-points and patrolling to secure the health and safety of our people.
The lockdown for the main island was effective, 12:01am November 2 to 11:59pm November 9 meant that everyone must stay at home, except for services that were designated essential, with curfews starting from 8:00pm to 6:00am.
The lockdown followed the confirmation of Tonga's first COVID-19 case, among 215 passengers repatriated from Christchurch on October 27.
Meanwhile, Tongatapu's lockdown has been reverted back to the national restrictions directions, with curfews starting from 12:00 midnight until 5:00am. This was after it was confirmed there is no community transmission detected on the island.