The quarantine period for repatriated passengers has been reduced to 10 days starting next week, confirmed the Acting Deputy Prime Minister, Hon Poasi Tei confirmed on April 14.

In addition, the 72 hours quarantine for cargo received at Fua’amotu International Airport has been cancelled. The ports had already cancelled this requirement.

Most of the repatriated passengers that arrived from Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, and Samoa, on March 30 were released from quarantine on Tuesday, 12 April, after testing negative for COVID-19 in their final round of tests.

However, seven repatriates had tested positive for COVID-19 and were not released.

They will remain in quarantine until they test negative to the virus.

The next repatriation flights are scheduled to arrive in the country next Wednesday and Thursday from Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia.

Meanwhile, daily COVID-19 cases in Tonga have been reducing with 81 new cases reported yesterday.

So far, there are 1,842 active cases, while 6,900 have recovered. A total of 8,842 cumulative COVID-19 cases have been recorded with 7,947 on Tongatapu, 551 on Vava'u and 344 on Ha'apai.  There have been 11 deaths in Tonga due to COVID-19.