Results for COVID-19

The roll out of Tonga’s COVID-19 vaccination program is expected to start on 15 April announced Minister for Health Hon Dr ‘Amelia Tu’i’pulotu last night.

Tonga is now one of six countries in the Pacific region to remain CoViD-19 free to date.

US$9 million was contributed by the Government of Japan to UNICEF to strengthen the vaccine cold chain and capacity to address the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic in 10 Pacific Islands, including Tonga.

New York Times reporting: The coronavirus must have infected someone with a weak immune system, allowing it to adapt and evolve for months into far more contagious variants, experts hypothesize. If true, the idea has implications for vaccination programs, particularly in countries that have not yet begun to immunize their populations, especially those with diabetes and other health conditions. People with compromised immune systems — such as cancer patients — should be among the first to be vaccinated, said a virus expert. The faster that group is protected, the lower the risk that their bodies turn into incubators for the world’s next supercharged mutant.

UPDATED: Fiji has received 12,000 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, making it the first Pacific Island country to receive a rollout under the COVAX facility. Around 6,000 frontline workers are expected to receive the first doses.

The repatriation flight from Auckland that was planned for 3 March has been rescheduled to arrive next Wednesday 10 March, confirmed MEIDECC CEO Paula Ma’u this morning.

Australian citizens and permanent residents in Tonga who wish to return to Australia via Auckland can now get a connecting flight to Sydney within 24 hours. No COVID-19 test is required prior to departure, however, passengers must cover the costs of the mandatory 14-days quarantine on arrival in Australia.

Australia plans to start the roll out of the Pfizer/BioNTech CoViD-19 vaccine next week to the first and most vulnerable Australians from 22 February.

Tonga’s Declaration of a Health State of Emergency will enter its second year of enforcement, under a monthly renewal starting from 8:00pm today, February 15 to March 15. This means the State of Emergency has been in force for a full year, since it was first declared on 12 March 2020.