Topline
Tonga entered lockdown on Wednesday after recording its first locally spread cases of Covid-19 among port workers and their families involved in distributing humanitarian aid in the wake of the volcanic eruption and subsequent tsunami that battered the island nation last month.
Tonga entered lockdown after finding community transmission of Covid.
Key Facts
Tongan Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni said Tonga would enter a nationwide lockdown after two port workers helping distribute aid shipments tested positive for Covid-19 in the country’s capital, Nuku’alofa.
Three more cases were later found among relatives of the workers, according to media reports.
The outbreak marks the first time Covid-19 has spread locally in Tonga, which has remained Covid-free for the duration of the pandemic, barring a single case in a returning traveler last October.
The lockdown—which has no set end-point but will be reviewed every 48 hours—will stop transport between islands, close schools and prohibit large gatherings.
What We Don’t Know
Where transmission started. Tongan officials are working to pinpoint the source of the outbreak and are looking at what ships have visited the docks. Australian officials said the outbreak is not linked to a Navy ship docked in Nuku’alofa. Though dozens of cases have been recorded among sailors on the HMAS Adelaide, reportedly stranded due to a power outage, it has unloaded aid in a “Covid-friendly” way. Crew on flights from Japan and Australia also tested positive.
Key Background
A massive undersea volcanic eruption and subsequent tsunami devastated Tonga in January, killing three people and leaving much of the country reliant on foreign aid for essentials like drinking water and shelter kits. Disruption is ongoing weeks after the disasters, with communications patchy due to a damaged undersea cable and safe water supplies still an issue. As a small island nation, Tonga is especially vulnerable to disease outbreaks, which could rapidly overwhelm its healthcare system. As a result, the country has imposed strict border controls to keep the coronavirus out since the pandemic began and locked down after recording one case among a returning traveler last year. The strict approach has complicated relief efforts, however, and raised fears that vital foreign assistance would also bring the virus.
Further Reading
Tongan Volcano: ‘Alarming’ Damage Reported As International Aid Efforts Are Hampered By Volcanic Ash (Forbes)
Tsunami-hit Tonga goes into lockdown after workers helping deliver aid catch Covid (Guardian)
Full coverage and live updates on the Coronavirus
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthart/2022/02/02/tsunami-hit-tonga-goes-into-lockdown-after-after-foreign-aid-brings-covid-19/