While no cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Tonga, tougher measures for incoming travellers were imposed today, in a fifth advisory aimed at preventing the virus from entering the country. It includes strict quarantine requirements for travellers through or from some affected countries, while all international cruise ships and yachts scheduled to arrive in Tonga are now barred indefinitely. By Eleanor Gee.
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Results for Health
Tuesday 17 March 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
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Monday 16 March 2020
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The World Health Organization reported last night that COVID-19 had reached nine new countries/territories/areas, seven in the African Region, one in the European Region and one in the Region of Americas, during the previous 24 hours..
Friday 13 March 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga has declared a Public Health Emergency Order to be prepared to fight COVID-19. Two declarations announced by the Prime Minister this afternoon, give more power to the Ministry of Health to contain COVID-19. The CEO of Health said today they have limited intensive care capacity “I think as a Ministry we have to prepare for more difficult scenario,” he said, but Tonga’s small size is an advantage where it is easier to contain.
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Thursday 12 March 2020
Geneva, Switzerland
COVID-19 has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on 11 March, due to the rising number of confirmed people with COVID-19 around the world and the increase in deaths.
Wednesday 11 March 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga does not have any cases of coronavirus COVID-19 the Vaiola Hospital confirmed this evening. A doctor said that the second test on a person with pneumonia that was sent to New Zealand on Saturday had returned a negative result today.
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Monday 9 March 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A second and final batch of samples taken from a suspected COVID-19 case in Tonga on Saturday has been sent to New Zealand for testing. This is after the first test, sent to Australia last week was found to be negative.
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Saturday 7 March 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Samples, taken from a suspected coronavirus COVID-19 case in Tonga this week, arrived in Australia yesterday and are on their way to a Melbourne laboratory for testing.
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Friday 6 March 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga's Health officials are urging sick people, including Tongans, who are planning to visit Tonga, to stay away while they are ill. The plea comes after a 21-year-old Tongan woman travelled while sick with the flu from Sydney to Tonga on Monday, 2 March, and is now suspected of having COVID-19.
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Thursday 5 March 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
More than 10 suspected COVID-19 cases across the Pacific who have had samples tested have come back negative confirmed Dr Yutaro Setoya from the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Tonga. This does not include Tonga's suspected COVID-19 case sample, which is still being tested.
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Wednesday 4 March 2020
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A 21-year-old Tongan woman who returned from Sydney on Monday, March 2 is Tonga’s first suspected case of coronavirus (COVID-19). Samples are being sent to New Zealand for confirmation, and that may take three days.
Wednesday 4 March 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
When Dr Duke Mataka became Tonga’s Ophthalmologist in 2018, he filled a post that had been vacant for a decade following the departure of Dr Afu Taumoepeau. Last year alone they carried out 500 operations, mainly cataract treatments.
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Tuesday 3 March 2020
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
While no cases of coronavirus have been identified in Tonga, the country has raised its alert level from high to very high, in a fourth travel advisory issued today, aimed at preventing the virus from entering the country.
Monday 17 February 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The first group of 26 Tongan athletes and officials have arrived in London today. The boxing and table tennis teams had been stranded in China following the outbreak of the coronavirus and the travel restrictions imposed.
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Monday 17 February 2020
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The Ministry of Health issued its third travel advisory on 15 February reminding international travellers they need to meet requirements on arrival in Tonga, due to the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. A traveller from China who was on a flight from New Zealand was denied entry at Fua'amotu International Airport last week because he failed to comply with a new condition of entry to Tonga.
Saturday 15 February 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
A traveller from China who was on board an international flight from New Zealand was denied entry to Fua’amotu International Airport on February 13 for failing to comply with a 14 days quarantine requirement at the last port of entry.
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Saturday 15 February 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The 51 Tongan athletes who were stuck in China following the outbreak of the Corona virus are expected to leave China tomorrow and on Tuesday and travel to the United Kingdom, where they will stay under medical supervision for two weeks before returning to Tonga in early March.
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Friday 14 February 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Tonga's Acting Minister of Health is hopeful that four Tongan sports teams in China will be permitted to evacuate to London where they may be quarantined for 14-days before returning to Tonga, and approval for the move is being sought from the UK Government. In Tonga the distressed parents of the swimmers are happy that the government is trying to get the teams home.
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Friday 14 February 2020
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The Tongan Embassy in Beijing has been keeping tabs on Tongan nationals across China, including 49 students to ensure they are looked after, as new cases of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) continue to climb.
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Wednesday 12 February 2020
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Four cruise ships have been ordered to stay away from Tonga this week under a diversion order issued yesterday, 11 February, by the Ministry of Health, to prevent the introduction or spread of the new coronavirus, now named SARS-CoV-2. The virus with 393 cases outside of China, has been identified as a form of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) coronaviruses.
Tuesday 11 February 2020
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Geneva, Switzerland
The number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases worldwide has climbed to 40,235 in China and 909 deaths as at 10 February, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). No update has been provided by the Tonga Government on the Tongan students and sports athletes currently in China, since its travel advisory on 5 February. Meanwhile, residents in Tonga's Vava'u Group are worried that cruise ships are arriving directly from overseas at this time.
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