Results for Health

All 141 passengers repatriated from Christchurch, New Zealand earlier this month have tested negative for CoViD-19 confirmed Ministry of Health CEO Dr Siale ‘Akau’ola today. Another 230 repatriated passengers are expected to arrive later this week from Brisbane and Auckland.

Children from several kindergartens on Tongatapu celebrated Global Handwashing Day today, 15 October, under a theme “Hand Hygiene for All”. The day was introduced to reduce childhood mortality rates related respiratory and diarrhoeal diseases by a simple behavioural change - hand washing with soap.

A 40-foot container full of brand new wheelchairs and walking aids was officially handed over to the Ministry of Health by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at Vaiola Hospital today. The equipment will help needy people throughout Tonga and is the fourth container-load of equipment donated by the church.

CoViD-19 tests are now being offered at Vaiola Hospital for travellers after the Health Services regulation to include CoViD-19 test fees was Gazetted yesterday afternoon.

A total of 141 seasonal workers will be repatriated to Tonga from Christchurch, New Zealand, on a chartered flight on Friday, 9 October, confirmed MEIDECC CEO Paula Ma'u last night.

Tonga’s State of Emergency due to the global CoViD-19 pandemic has been extended from 8:00pm today, Monday, September 28 until 8:00pm October 26. The coronavirus pandemic is accelerating globally.

The 25 repatriated passengers from the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu have all tested negative for CoViD-19 and are now on one week home quarantine for added safety, confirmed Dr Siale ‘Akau’ola yesterday.

Tonga is looking at providing CoViD-19 tests for outgoing passengers at a fee says the Ministry of Health, but until a regulation is amended, foreigners who are stuck in Tonga will not be able have departure tests. This may take two weeks or more to sort out.

All 45 passengers repatriated from Fiji and Kiribati on Wednesday have tested negative for CoViD-19 confirmed MEIDECC CEO Paula Ma'u this afternoon. Only 38 passengers were repatriated from Fiji out of the 56 that had registered to return to Tonga because of issues with obtaining tests and the cost of the tickets.