Results for Health

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 protection of all health care workers in the face of CoViD-19 has been highlighted as doctors, nurses, midwives and many others in the industry who work to keep communities healthy are recognized on World Health Day, 7 April.

Three CoViD-19 testing machines and 2000 test kits are expect to arrive in Tonga later this month, although it is still uncertain how they will get here. Meanwhile, the Health CEO warned against public scaremongering: "When people try to force authorities not to accept donations like PPEs to help us fight CoViD-19, it is like the public forcing someone to use a fork and spoon to fight a lion."

The Asian Development Bank today, 7 April announced a grant of $470,000 to help finance a response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Tonga, where the country's main hospital has limited capacity to quarantine and isolate cases.

With CoViD-19 numbers climbing daily around the world, and the lack of PPE available worldwide, people can sew their own face masks as an added protection from spreading the virus. Studies show the effectiveness of different materials in blocking the virus.

Tonga is one of 18 countries in the world that is CoViD-19 free as of today, 3 April, and 10 of these countries are located in the Pacific region.

The Tonga Government has decided against the landing at Fua'amotu International Airport of a chartered aircraft carrying medical supplies from China.

A travel schedule expected for a chartered flight to bring medical supplies from China has not been confirmed at this stage. The medical supplies are aimed to help Tonga in its preventative measures against COVID-19.

People who ventured out today, on the second day of Tonga's national lockdown, encountered checkpoints on main roads, manned by police officers and soldiers. Police said that while most people are compliant, a few who were obstructing police had been arrested. They are also investigating reports that funerals are being held with more than 20 people present.