Tonga’s State of Emergency that was due to end today at 8:00pm 17 May has been extended until 8.00pm 11 June 2020, the Prime Minister, Hon. Dr Pohiva Tu‘i‘onetoa declared this afternoon 15 May 2020. The night curfew now starts at 10:00pm. Gyms and sporting events are permitted and some other restrictions have been eased, while the border remains closed.
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Results for Health
Friday 15 May 2020
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Nuku'alofa Tonga
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Friday 15 May 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The Community Health Centre at Houma upgraded by the Government of Japan was handed over on May 15.
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Thursday 14 May 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Australia has committed to providing up to AUD$1.8 million to extend the Tonga Health Systems Support Program to the end of next year, and a further AUD$1 million for CoViD-19 preparations, signing the increased assistance package with the Minister of Health today.
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Monday 11 May 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
World Red Cross Day celebrations in Tonga on 8 May saw the launch of a website used to restore communications within families in times of emergencies, including natural disasters, conflicts or migration.
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Friday 8 May 2020
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The third CoViD-19 testing machine, GeneXpert, and testing cartridges have arrived in Tonga and were cleared last night and kept at the Ministry of Health laboratory said Dr Siale ‘Akau’ola today, 8 May.
Tuesday 5 May 2020
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Around the world, Hand Hygiene Day is celebrated today 5 May, but in Tonga students at GPS Fasi have stepped up their hand hygiene routine every day to prevent the spread of pathogens and infections such as CoViD-19.
Saturday 2 May 2020
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Restrictions enforced under a State of Emergency in Tonga since 17 April will be relaxed for a couple of weeks from 8:00pm May 1-15 2020, the Prime Minister announced yesterday. However, the international border remains closed to incoming passengers, including an estimated 10,000 Tongans overseas who want to return.
Thursday 30 April 2020
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga’s Ministry of Health still has a number of issues to address before they would like the borders to open and to ease restrictions on gathering in public places, says Health CEO Dr Siale 'Akau'ola. “We have to make sure that no coronavirus will be transferred.”
Sunday 26 April 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Case management, or the ability of Tonga’s Ministry of Health to accommodate and treat CoViD-19 patients, if the new coronavirus arrives in Tonga, remains a serious problem for the Ministry of Health to resolve, Dr Siale ‘Akau’ola said on Friday.
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Friday 24 April 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A man who boarded an Air New Zealand flight at Fua’amotu International Airport yesterday, 23 April, was removed due to a New Zealand Immigration travel ban “technicality”, and ended up in quarantine at the Fua'amotu Taliai Camp instead, where he will have to stay for 14 days.
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Thursday 23 April 2020
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Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Big-hearted American-Tongan pro golfer Tony Finau has donated $100,000 to ‘Project Protect’, an initiative to provide $5 million face masks to frontline healthcare workers in the United States. The country is the worst affected by CoViD-19, with over 42,000 Americans having died from the disease so far.
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Wednesday 22 April 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Personal Protective Equipment consisting of 50,000 KN95 facial masks and 20,000 protective masks donated by the Jack Ma Foundation arrived in Nadi, the Pacific Humanitarian Pathway on COVID-19, reported yesterday.
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Tuesday 21 April 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The second CoViD-19 testing machine and testing kits are among medical supplies due to arrive in Tonga on Thursday, 23 April on an Air New Zealand flight.
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Friday 17 April 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga’s Ministry of Health trusts the World Health Organization’s (WHO) view that asymptomatic transmission of CoVID-19 has not been proven, CEO of the Ministry of Health Dr Siale 'Akau'ola said this week.
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Friday 17 April 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga has extended its State of Emergency for another month until May 15, due to the continuous spread of CoViD-19 globally, including Tonga's neighbouring countries the Prime Minister Hon Dr Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa announced this afternoon. Eased national restrictions also come into effect starting at 8:00pm 17 April to 8:00pm 24 April, when they will be reviewed. But the PM also indicated that international airline diversions could last into June.
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Thursday 16 April 2020
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The first CoViD-19 PCR testing machine and one x-ray unit arrived in Tonga by container ship on Saturday, 11 April, along with 36 hospital beds donated by a Tongan family, the Ministry of Health confirmed this afternoon. However, the machine cannot be used until testing kits arrive.
Tuesday 14 April 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga's national lockdown was eased on Sunday, April 12 after the Prime Minister said that the Ministry of Health confirmed no COVID-19 cases. However, borders remain closed, while a curfew and ban on gatherings has been continued.
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Monday 13 April 2020
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Nuku'alofa, 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”.
Saturday 11 April 2020
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Nuku'alofa, 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.
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Wednesday 8 April 2020
Washington, USA
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.
