Results for Health

The possibility of opening Tonga’s border mid-year is currently under discussion, the Minister for Health, Hon. Dr Saia Piukala confirmed today.

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine program for children aged 5 to 11 years started rolling out across primary schools in Tongatapu today, April 19.

Health services in Tonga will be strengthened with new medical equipment, donated by Japan and handed over to Tonga on April 8.

A range of cleaning supplies from Karcher in Australia donated to hospitals across Tonga to help with cleaning up the ashfall after the eruption, were received by the Ministry of Health yesterday, 6 April.

Ha’apai is now under lockdown restrictions, starting today up to 5:00am Saturday, April 9, after it was confirmed there is COVID-19 spreading in the community.

All schools and government departments in Ha‘apai are closed, starting today, after the first community transmission of COVID-19 was detected there, the Prime Minister's Office announced last night. The PMO expected the numbers to be announced by the Ministry of Health at a press conference this afternoon.

Six deaths from COVID-19 in Tonga have been confirmed, while another five people with the virus died from underlying illnesses, the Minister for Health, Hon Dr Saia Piukala said today, March 29.

The COVID-19 virus has reached Ha’apai, with 29 positive cases confirmed out of the 126 people who travelled from Nuku’alofa to the outer islands, last week. Meanwhile, a total of 363 new cases were recorded in the whole of Tonga over a 24 hour period up to 6:00am today, bringing the total number of active cases in Tonga to 2,919. Positive cases in Tonga are forecast to peak at 1,000 cases per day by mid-April. Three people have died from COVID-19 and another six positive cases died from underlying illnesses.

Tonga's national vaccine rollout is boosted by around 54,990 doses of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines that arrived today, March 22, provided by Australia, as part of a partnership with UNICEF.