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Tonga could receive the CoViD-19 vaccine “maybe at the end of the first quarter or beginning of the second quarter of the year,” the Ministry of Health Acting CEO, Dr Reynold ‘Ofanoa, said today, 9 February. Home quarantine was no longer allowed, because 27 people had breached the rules, out of 1,624 repatriates.

Forecast maps for Tropical Depression 09F were released by the Fua'amotu Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre at 1:00pm today, Tuesday. TD09F is forecast to enter Tongan waters tonight as a Category 1 Tropical Cyclone.

Tonga has joined the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), becoming its 84th member at an official flag raising ceremony held at the AIIB headquarter in Beijing, China, on 5 February. The AIIB was established in 2016 with $100 billion capital. It was created with the purpose of serving as a regional financing tool for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative.

All 114 passengers repatriated from New Zealand and Fiji on February 4 have tested negative. However, from this flight onwards, arriving passengers will be quarantined for 21-days at the managed facilities, with no further home isolation required.

The COVAX Initiative expects to release first doses of the Pfizer/BioNTec vaccine and the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine during the first half of 2021 to COVAX Facility participants. Twelve South Pacific countries are included in its first “interim distribution forecast” that targets at least 3% of their populations.

A 34-year-old Senior Police Constable was suspended from police duty, after he was arrested for domestic violence and child abuse, allegedly committed on his nine-year-old son. Police Commissioner Stephen Caldwell said Tonga Police must set a high standard for responding to and investigating family violence.

Tonga’s first Labour Mobility Policy was launched by Prime Minister Hon Dr Tu’i’onetoa today, 4 February. Thousands of Tongans are employed in labour mobility schemes in New Zealand and Australia in horticulture, meat processing, construction, tourism and hospitality. The policy, which was endorsed by cabinet in 2020, aims to maximize the development impact of circular labour mobility in Tonga.

Tevita Talia’uli Fatongiatau (34), who is currently serving time in prison, was sentenced to another one-year nine-months imprisonment sentence for possession of methamphetamine, by the Nuku'alofa Supreme Court.

Ue’ikaetau Tapa’atoutai was sentenced to six-months imprisonment for possession of 0.08 grams of methamphetamine and 0.43 grams of cannabis. This was fully suspended on conditions.