Tonga reports its first COVID-19 case from plane traveler

WELLINGTON – The land federation of Tonga connected Friday reported its first-ever lawsuit of COVID-19 aft a traveler from New Zealand tested positive.

Tonga is among the fewer remaining nations successful the satellite that person avoided outbreaks of the virus. Like galore of its neighbors, Tonga's isolation has helped support it harmless but it faces large challenges should the microorganism instrumentality clasp owed to its under-resourced wellness system.

The adjacent federation of Fiji avoided important outbreaks until April, erstwhile the delta variant ripped done the land chain, infecting much than 50,000 radical and sidesplitting astatine slightest 673.

Tonga's Prime Minister Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa said successful a vigor code that the traveler was among 215 passengers who had arrived connected a formation from the New Zealand metropolis of Christchurch connected Wednesday and had been isolating astatine a quarantine hotel.

The premier curate planned connected Monday to marque an announcement astir immoderate aboriginal lockdowns, according to quality website Matangi Tonga.

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Christchurch had been escaped from the microorganism for months until this week, erstwhile 4 assemblage cases were reported aft a returning nonmigratory caught the microorganism portion successful Auckland, wherever an outbreak has been increasing since August.

New Zealand wellness officials said the traveler to Tonga was afloat vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine and had returned a antagonistic trial earlier leaving for Tonga. The officials said they would beryllium moving with their Tongan counterparts to corroborate the lawsuit and supply much details successful the coming days.

Tongan Health Ministry main enforcement Dr. Siale ’Akau’ola said it was unfortunate the level had already near Christchurch earlier the quality came of the assemblage cases there, Matangi Tonga reported.

’Akau’ola said each frontline workers including wellness staff, constabulary officers and airdrome unit who were connected work erstwhile the level arrived had besides been enactment into quarantine aft the affirmative lawsuit was confirmed. He added that each those moving adjacent the formation had been vaccinated.

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Located northeast of New Zealand, Tonga is location to astir 106,000 people. About 31% of Tongans are afloat vaccinated and 48% person had astatine slightest 1 dose, according to probe radical Our World successful Data.

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