Results for Health

Around 7,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, donated by the Japanese Government via COVAX, arrived in Tonga this afternoon, Tuesday. “I hope today’s vaccines could help accelerate the on-going inoculation and that we could make the Kingdom well prepared before it comes,” said HE Mr Kensaku Munenaga. However, we cannot, we should not keep closing our border forever, he said. “Only with a change of the policy, Tongans who have been stuck outside of the Kingdom can meet their families here in Tonga.”

COVID-19 is the worst crisis for children worldwide that UNICEF has seen in its 75-year history, according to the agency’s report released on December 9.

Essential COVID-19 supplies and oxygen equipment was donated to the Ministry of Health from the Government of Australia, after the cargo arrived on November 30 at Fua'amotu International Airport.

Around 46,239 people (60%) of Tonga’s eligible population of 76,911 are now fully inoculated for COVID-19. while 73,295 (95%) have received their first doses of either the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccine by November 29, the Ministry of Health confirmed today.

Tonga’s Health State of Emergency has been renewed for another month to prevent the spread of COVID-19, starting from 8:00pm on 22 November until 8:00pm 20 December.

Around 57% of Tonga’s eligible population is now fully vaccinated for COVID-19, while nearly 94% of those eligible have received their first dose, the Ministry of Health reported today. Among the 12-17 years age group there has been a high uptake of vaccinations, with 92 percent receiving their first dose.

At 11:59pm tonight Tonga's COVID restrictions will revert to what they were before last week's lockdown was imposed, the Prime Minister, Rev. Dr Pohiva Tu‘i‘onetoa announced this afternoon. No community transmission has been detected since a returning passenger tested positive for COVID-19 in managed isolation quarantine in Nuku'alofa on October 27.

A COVID-19 test result that is a “weak positive” is not a “false positive”, Ministry of Health CEO Dr Siale ‘Akau’ola confirmed to Matangi Tonga today. He was responding to public comments regarding the meaning of the test results from Tonga's first COVID case.

Tonga's COVID positive case in quarantine is not showing any symptoms, because the passenger was previously vaccinated, the Minister of Health said yesterday, as first doses of vaccines reached 89% of eligible adults in Tonga. So far 63% of the eligible adult population are fully vaccinated, after the weekend rush boosted the numbers.