Tonga's main island locks down after 1st virus case found

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Tonga’s main land volition spell into lockdown for a week aft the South Pacific federation reported its archetypal lawsuit of the coronavirus, the authorities said Monday.

The far-flung archipelago identified its archetypal microorganism lawsuit past week, aft a traveler arriving from New Zealand tested affirmative and isolated astatine a quarantine hotel.

Tonga’s Prime Minister Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa said the lockdown would statesman conscionable aft midnight connected Tuesday and use lone to the land of Tongatapu, wherever a bulk of the colonisation live.

The nation’s Cabinet ordered the determination to “ensure the information and wellness of our people,” quality website Matangi Tonga reported.

The lockdown volition mean schools, bars and restaurants volition beryllium closed, and nighttime curfews imposed. People volition beryllium required to isolate astatine location unless they are buying groceries oregon medicine, getting aesculapian help, oregon accessing banking services.

News of the lawsuit has prompted hundreds of Tongans to enactment up astatine vaccination sites astir the country. About 31% of Tongans are afloat vaccinated and 48% person had astatine slightest 1 dose, according to probe radical Our World successful Data.

The infected traveler was among 215 passengers who arrived connected a formation from Christchurch connected Wednesday.

Christchurch had been escaped from the microorganism for months until past week, erstwhile respective assemblage cases were reported.

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.

Tonga is among the fewer remaining nations successful the satellite that person avoided outbreaks of the microorganism owed to its isolation.

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 frontline workers — including wellness staff, constabulary officers and airdrome unit — who were connected work erstwhile the level arrived had besides been enactment into quarantine.

Located northeast of New Zealand, Tonga is location to astir 106,000 people.