Results for Tonga

An Australian doctor in Tonga warns that it’s too early for children to return to school tomorrow because we do not know for certain if the recent arrivals in Tonga were free of the virus or just had no symptoms. “If they did pass it to people they have contacted, those contacts may still be incubating the disease...To relax these restrictions now risks an outbreak of the disease, with potentially terrible consequences.” he said. There are no CoViD-19 tests here, so Tonga is “flying blind”.

The body of a man, found floating on the shoreline of ‘Eua after it was struck by Cyclone Harold on Thursday Morning, 9 April, was not a cyclone victim, authorities confirmed today. 'Eua suffered the greatest impact of the cyclone in Tonga.

The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs has this week announced NZ$4 million to the Government of Tonga in general budget support. This is in addition to NZ$100,000 previously provided and another NZ$1 million to be given to Tonga’s Ministry of Health to support implementing its CoViD-19 prevention plan.

Liku‘alofa Beach Resort, on Tongatapu's southwest Sunset Coast, was demolished by severe Tropical Cyclone Harold (category 4) when it hit Tongatapu in the early hours of Thursday, April 9. Other resorts along the coast were also reported destroyed.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Harold, will coincide with a king tide and a supermoon in Tonga early tomorrow morning. An extreme high tide warning is now in force for all Tonga coastal waters for tomorrow and Friday.

Tonga’s commercial banks will close tomorrow, April 9, due to severe Tropical Cyclone Harold, which is expected to close in on Tonga tonight. Meanwhile, the economic downturn is becoming more acute for Tonga due to CoViD-19, states a bank manager.

With CoViD-19 we are reminded that viruses and germs cause sickness on a large scale and that hands are one of the leading transmitters of germs that cause respiratory infections, typhoid and diarrhoea. Thousands of children under five die in the Pacific each year from diarrhoeal diseases. Germs transmitted by hands play a large role in this type of death. By Otto ten Bosch, Matangi reader.

The whole of Tonga is preparing to counter the impact of the CoViD-19. Hospitals in all island groups are training staff and preparing as best they can, while waiting for special medical equipment and Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), that they hope will arrive before the virus.

The Fua’amotu Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre was activated this morning as severe Tropical Cyclone Harold is expected to enter Tongan waters as a Category 3 storm by Thursday morning, April 9. UPDATED.