NUKU’ALOFA (Tonga Wires/Pacnews) — Tonga’s hard lockdown enforced Sunday, for one week to try to curb the rapidly increasing numbers of Covid-19 cases.
Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni announced the lockdown, during a press conference via zoom Friday.
He said the night time curfew will be moved to 8 p.m.-8 a.m. for both Tongatapu and Vava’u.
The cabinet decided to revert to red alert from orange alert on the advice of the Ministry of Health, following the continuing increase of positive cases recorded on Tongatapu and Vava’u and the need for health teams to regroup, he said.
Therefore, all services such all retail and wholesale business, banks, gas stations, bread shops and schools will be closed this week.
The prime minister said the only exceptions are those needing to go to the pharmacies and hospital. Also for those needing to go plantation and fishing for their daily necessities. People will only be allowed to move for these needs from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. during this new lockdown period, he said.
“Those who do go to pharmacies must also prove they went there by presenting receipts at checkpoints. Other people moving around during this time will be monitored by authorities.”
Government services will be closed except for essential services, with respective CEOs to liaise with the Public Service Commission on work programs.
International ships and flights can still arrive in Tonga this week.
“This is important so that food and goods can still be imported to Tonga and shops stay stocked up,” said the PM.
The deputy prime minister, Poasi Tei, said the distribution of assistance sent from overseas currently at the Queen Salote Wharf would continue during this hard lockdown.
The National Emergency Management Office and the Ministry of Customs and Revenue will be working closely together to ensure that members of the public who need to collect their items are allowed to do so, under strict health protocols.
A total of 351 containers of assistance sent from Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, United States of America and American Samoa, have been released so far.
Meanwhile, an 88-year-old woman in Tonga has died from Covid-19, Ministry of Health CEO Dr Siale ‘Akau’ola said.
This brings the total number of deaths of Covid-19 positive people to five.
He said that, unfortunately, the elderly woman was not vaccinated and was vulnerable to the virus.
Two other deaths were also confirmed including one male that died from terminal cancer.
“His body already had a weak immune system due to the cancer and was vulnerable to the virus,” said Dr ‘Akau’ola.
“The death of another male in his 40’s was due to an underlying illness. He was septicemic. He was also vulnerable and caught the virus and died.”
“We are still working on verifying information to define the deaths in accordance with World Health Organization and regional Covid-19 classifications,” he said.
