Island group Tonga in lockdown for the first time after rare infections

Island group Tonga in lockdown for the first time after rare infections

Tonga is going into lockdown for the first time after five people have now been diagnosed with the corona virus. The archipelago has only known one corona case since the outbreak of the pandemic. Tonga was hit by a submarine volcanic eruption on January 15, after which a tsunami engulfed part of the island state. Other countries sent boats with relief supplies. The lockdown was announced on Tuesday after two dock workers tested positive. They had received the emergency aid in one of the ports.

No boats and flights are allowed to and between the islands, Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni said in a speech on Tuesday. The borders will be closed for at least two days on Wednesday morning, after which the lockdown will be evaluated. The inhabitants of the islands must stay at home as much as possible, keep their distance and wear a face mask. People with an essential profession, such as employees of the Red Cross, are allowed to work outside the home.

Because Tonga, with more than a hundred thousand inhabitants, is isolated in the south of the Pacific, the country was corona-free for a long time. Strict corona measures were applied when countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Japan supplied water supplies after Tonga was hit by the volcanic eruption. There is also more testing since the aid comes to the island. The two dock workers have been vaccinated and have no symptoms, foreign news agencies report.