Younger males play a recreation of rugby at sundown in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, on April 10, 2019. The island nation of Tonga has reported its first-ever case of COVID-19 on Oct. 29, 2021 after a traveler from New Zealand examined optimistic.
Mark Baker/AP
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Mark Baker/AP
Younger males play a recreation of rugby at sundown in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, on April 10, 2019. The island nation of Tonga has reported its first-ever case of COVID-19 on Oct. 29, 2021 after a traveler from New Zealand examined optimistic.
Mark Baker/AP
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The island nation of Tonga on Friday reported its first-ever case of COVID-19 after a traveler from New Zealand examined optimistic.
Tonga is among the many few remaining nations on this planet which have prevented outbreaks of the virus. Like a lot of its neighbors, Tonga’s isolation has helped maintain it protected however it faces large challenges ought to the virus take maintain resulting from its under-resourced well being system.
The close by nation of Fiji prevented vital outbreaks till April, when the delta variant ripped via the island chain, infecting greater than 50,000 individuals and killing at the very least 673.
Tonga’s Prime Minister Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa mentioned in a radio deal with that the traveler was amongst 215 passengers who had arrived on a flight from the New Zealand metropolis of Christchurch on Wednesday and had been isolating at a quarantine resort.
A pig wonders round a home in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, on April 7, 2019. Tonga on Friday reported its first-ever case of COVID-19 after a returning resident caught the virus whereas in New Zealand.
Mark Baker/AP
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toggle caption
Mark Baker/AP
A pig wonders round a home in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, on April 7, 2019. Tonga on Friday reported its first-ever case of COVID-19 after a returning resident caught the virus whereas in New Zealand.
Mark Baker/AP
The prime minister deliberate on Monday to make an announcement about any future lockdowns, in keeping with information web site Matangi Tonga.
Christchurch had been free from the virus for months till this week, when 4 neighborhood instances had been reported after a returning resident caught the virus whereas in Auckland, the place an outbreak has been rising since August.
New Zealand well being officers mentioned the traveler to Tonga was totally vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine and had returned a destructive take a look at earlier than leaving for Tonga. The officers mentioned they might be working with their Tongan counterparts to verify the case and supply extra particulars within the coming days.
Tongan Well being Ministry chief government Dr. Siale ‘Akau’ola mentioned it was unlucky the aircraft had already left Christchurch earlier than the information got here of the neighborhood instances there, Matangi Tonga reported.
‘Akau’ola mentioned all frontline staff together with well being workers, law enforcement officials and airport workers who had been on responsibility when the aircraft arrived had additionally been put into quarantine after the optimistic case was confirmed. He added that each one these working close to the flight had been vaccinated.
Situated northeast of New Zealand, Tonga is dwelling to about 106,000 individuals. About 31% of Tongans are totally vaccinated and 48% have had at the very least one dose, in keeping with analysis group Our World in Knowledge.
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