Results for COVID

New Zealand has committed $4.8 million funding to develop Tonga’s resilient health workforce, the New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Nanaia Murata announced last week, meeting with the Minister of Health, Dr. Saia Piukala and frontline healthcare workers.

Four repatriation flights arrived in Tonga yesterday, March 30, with 277 passengers, MEIDECC CEO Paula Ma’u confirmed this afternoon.

There are four repatriation flights due to arrive in Tonga tomorrow, Wednesday 30 March, from Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, and Apia, MEIDECC CEO Paula Ma’u said this afternoon.

Over 300 people, mainly on Tongatapu, have been arrested and charged for breaching curfews, not wearing masks or not social distancing, as required under the regulations under the Tonga Emergency Management Act since February 2. Tonga Police said they are assisted by town and district officers and community patrols to report those who breach the lockdown restrictions in villages.

A total of 174 repatriated passengers, were released from the Tanoa Hotel quarantine on Tuesday, March 1, after testing negative to COVID-19. Dr Reynold ‘Ofanoa said those arriving on the next repatriation flights, who would like to quarantine in their own homes can write a letter to the Ministry of Health, who will inspect the homes before approvals.

Six new COVID-19 positive cases were announced by Prime Minister Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni today Tuesday, Feb. 8, bringing the total number of active positive cases in Tonga to 13. They are all close contacts of earlier cases. Two were believed infected while kava drinking at Pili, and the other four are a family of an earlier case at Vaini, with both areas are identified as hotspots in the current outbreak.

Tonga is lifting a restriction in order to allow repatriation of over 300 passengers from New Zealand and Vanuatu next week. Changes to repatriation protocols were outlined by the new Minister for Health, Hon Dr Saia Piukala this morning, 14 January, and include repatriating from countries with COVID-19 in the community.

Those in Tonga aged 18 and above are urged to get inoculated before the current stock of AstraZeneca vaccines expire on 13 December. Pfizer vaccines for 12-17 year olds currently in the country will expire on December 20.

Repatriation flights to Tonga from Australia, Vanuatu, Fiji (for stranded passengers), and possibly Samoa have been confirmed tentatively for January 18 next year, MEIDECC CEO Paula Ma'u told Matangi Tonga this afternoon. A repatriation flight from New Zealand that was scheduled for January 11 has been delayed and confirmed tentatively for January 20.