23 Australians on Ship Delivering Aid to Tonga Have COVID-19
2 years, 11 months ago

23 Australians on Ship Delivering Aid to Tonga Have COVID-19

The Diplomat  

The pandemic is complicating international aid to tsunami-hit Tonga, one of the world’s few COVID-free countries. Nearly two dozen sailors on an Australian military ship going to deliver aid to Tonga have tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said Tuesday, raising fears they could bring COVID-19 to a Pacific nation that has so far managed to avoid any outbreaks. Meanwhile, a cable company official said Tonga’s main island could have its internet service restored within two weeks, although it may take much longer to repair the connection to the smaller islands. A second, domestic fiber-optic cable that connects Tonga’s smaller islands to the main island could prove much more difficult to repair. Fonua said the focus was on fixing the main international cable, and they could deal with the domestic connections “at a later time.” He said Tongans had been somewhat understanding of the communication disruptions caused by the disaster, which killed three people, destroyed dozens of homes, and tainted water supplies with volcanic ash.

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History of this topic

Chinese navy arriving in Tonga as HMAS Adelaide continues 'tough' humanitarian deployment
2 years, 10 months ago

Chinese navy arriving in Tonga as HMAS Adelaide continues 'tough' humanitarian deployment

ABC  

Australia’s rivalry with China in the Pacific will heave into view off the coast of Tonga today when super-sized naval ships jostle to deliver loads of aid to the tsunami-damaged island nation. Key points: On Tuesday two Chinese ships from the People’s Liberation Army Southern Theatre Command are also scheduled to arrive in Tonga Officials acknowledge the situation has highlighted …

Aid to volcano-hit Tonga brings 1st COVID outbreak, lockdown
2 years, 11 months ago

Aid to volcano-hit Tonga brings 1st COVID outbreak, lockdown

Associated Press  

BANGKOK — For more than two years, the isolation of the Pacific archipelago nation of Tonga helped keep COVID-19 at bay. “Clearly when you’ve got countries that have already got a very stretched, and fragile health system, when you have an emergency or a disaster and then you have the potential introduction of the virus, that’s going to make an …

Aid reaching disaster-hit Tonga brings first virus outbreak
2 years, 11 months ago

Aid reaching disaster-hit Tonga brings first virus outbreak

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. "Clearly when you've got countries …

Covid-free Tonga goes into lockdown after five cases are recorded
2 years, 11 months ago

Covid-free Tonga goes into lockdown after five cases are recorded

Daily Mail  

Tonga is going into lockdown after uncovering five Covid cases thought to be linked to international aid deliveries arriving on the tsunami-devastated islands. Two port workers in the capital Nuku'alofa, where aid shipments are being unloaded, tested positive for the virus late Tuesday before another three cases were discovered among their family members - including two in children. Tonga has …

Tonga records two COVID-19 community cases, Pacific Island nation prepares for two-day lockdown
2 years, 11 months ago

Tonga records two COVID-19 community cases, Pacific Island nation prepares for two-day lockdown

ABC  

Tonga will enter a two-day nationwide lockdown from Wednesday night after recording two asymptomatic community cases of COVID-19. Key points: Tonga had been COVID-free and has not had any community transmission of the virus since the start of the pandemic The lockdown comes as the Pacific Island nation struggles to recover from a volcanic eruption and tsunami last month The …

HMAS Adelaide suffers power failure during Tongan mission after volcanic eruption
2 years, 11 months ago

HMAS Adelaide suffers power failure during Tongan mission after volcanic eruption

ABC  

A massive electrical power failure has crippled the Australian Navy's largest warship as it completes its humanitarian mission to Tonga following the January 14 volcanic eruption and tsunami. Key points: Sources on board say the ship was stranded because of a "total power failure" The ship is still having issues with external communications HMAS Adelaide docked in Tonga last week …

British, Australian ships deliver ‘contactless’ aid to Tonga
2 years, 11 months ago

British, Australian ships deliver ‘contactless’ aid to Tonga

Associated Press  

CANBERRA, Australia — British and Australian navy ships arrived in Tonga on Wednesday and attempted to deliver aid without making contact with anybody ashore to avoid spreading the coronavirus in a nation which has never had an outbreak. The danger of spreading the disease was underscored when nearly two dozen sailors aboard the Australian ship HMAS Adelaide were reported infected …

US gives $2.5m for Tonga disaster relief, as aid gathers pace
2 years, 11 months ago

US gives $2.5m for Tonga disaster relief, as aid gathers pace

Al Jazeera  

US will also deploy USS Sampson to join Australian and British ships on ‘contactless’ aid runs following eruption and tsunami. US ship deployed Meanwhile, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement that aside from the financial aid package, Washington will also assist the relief effort with the deployment of USS Sampson to Tongan waters. “USS Sampson is …

HMAS Adelaide delivers vital aid to Tonga a day after COVID-19 outbreak was detected on board
2 years, 11 months ago

HMAS Adelaide delivers vital aid to Tonga a day after COVID-19 outbreak was detected on board

ABC  

Australian navy ship HMAS Adelaide has docked in Tonga to deliver humanitarian supplies despite nearly two dozen personnel onboard testing positive to COVID-19. Key points: HMAS Adelaide has delivered humanitarian supplies to COVID-free Tonga after a volcanic eruption and tsunami last week Tongan authorities granted the ship permission to deliver the aid without person-to-person contact after 23 COVID cases were …

Covid outbreak on Australian aid ship headed to virus-free Tonga
2 years, 11 months ago

Covid outbreak on Australian aid ship headed to virus-free Tonga

Deccan Chronicle  

Almost two dozen crew on board an Australian Navy ship on its way to provide relief to the Pacific island of Tonga have been diagnosed with coronavirus, potentially hampering aid efforts to the Covid-free nation. Dutton said the Australian government was working with Tongan authorities to ensure the aid could still be delivered safely without passing on Covid to anyone …

COVID-19 outbreak on board HMAS Adelaide could hold up delivery of vital aid to Tonga
2 years, 11 months ago

COVID-19 outbreak on board HMAS Adelaide could hold up delivery of vital aid to Tonga

ABC  

Uncertainty surrounds Australia's latest aid mission to Tonga, after almost two dozen personnel on a navy ship carrying humanitarian supplies to the country tested positive to COVID-19. Key points: 23 people on board HMAS Adelaide have tested positive to COVID-19 The ship is carrying large quantities of vital aid for Tonga, including water and shelter Tonga is COVID-free and insists …

Why Tonga is opting for 'contactless' humanitarian aid
2 years, 11 months ago

Why Tonga is opting for 'contactless' humanitarian aid

NPR  

Why Tonga is opting for 'contactless' humanitarian aid Enlarge this image toggle caption Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images How do you bring aid to a disaster-struck nation when you don't want to let any outsiders in? toggle caption New Zealand Defense Force via Getty Images Enlarge this image toggle caption LACW Emma Schwenke/Australian …

Tonga crisis prompts aid organisations to call for cash, warn physical donations could delay critical relief
2 years, 11 months ago

Tonga crisis prompts aid organisations to call for cash, warn physical donations could delay critical relief

ABC  

Generous and well-intentioned donations of food and other goods may hinder vital aid getting to people in need in Tonga, humanitarian organisations warn. Key points: Donating cash to aid organisation is more effective than sending goods Containers full of physical donations can slow down delivery of life-saving aid Unsolicited items can cost millions in storage and end up in landfill …

World rushes aid to tsunami-hit Tonga amid water, food shortage
2 years, 11 months ago

World rushes aid to tsunami-hit Tonga amid water, food shortage

Al Jazeera  

UN says some 60,000 people affected by damage to crops, livestock, and fisheries due to ashfall, saltwater intrusion and potential for acid rain. A New Zealand maritime sustainment vessel, the HMNZS Aotearoa, carrying 250,000 litres of water and able to produce 70,000 litres per day through a desalination plant, is expected to arrive in Tonga on Friday. A second Australian …

First aid flights leave for Tonga five days after devastating volcanic eruption
2 years, 11 months ago

First aid flights leave for Tonga five days after devastating volcanic eruption

Firstpost  

The deliveries will be done with no contact because Tonga is desperate to make sure foreigners don’t bring in the coronavirus Wellington, New Zealand: The first flights carrying fresh water and other aid to Tonga were finally able to leave Thursday after the Pacific nation’s main airport runway was cleared of ash left by a huge volcanic eruption. A C-130 …

First relief flight lands in tsunami-hit Tonga, more on way
2 years, 11 months ago

First relief flight lands in tsunami-hit Tonga, more on way

Al Jazeera  

Hercules transport plane from New Zealand first to arrive as recovery effort accelerates in wake of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai disaster. The first flights carrying emergency relief supplies for Tonga have landed, and more are on their way, after the runway at the Pacific island nation’s main airport was cleared of ash and debris from last weekend’s devastating volcanic eruption and …

First aid flights arrive in Tonga after volcano eruption
2 years, 11 months ago

First aid flights arrive in Tonga after volcano eruption

LA Times  

The first flights carrying fresh water and other aid to Tonga finally arrived Thursday after the Pacific nation’s main airport runway was cleared of ash left by a huge volcanic eruption. Rear Adm. James Gilmour, the commander of New Zealand’s Joint Forces, said there had been a “mammoth effort” by Tongan troops “to clear that runway by hand. And they’ve …

First aid flights arrive in Tonga after massive volcanic eruption and tsunami
2 years, 11 months ago

First aid flights arrive in Tonga after massive volcanic eruption and tsunami

NPR  

First aid flights arrive in Tonga after massive volcanic eruption and tsunami Enlarge this image toggle caption Handout, Australian Defense Force/AP Handout, Australian Defense Force/AP The first aid flights to arrive since a massive volcano hit the Pacific island nation of Tonga last week landed in the capital Thursday, bringing bottled water, shelters, generators and communications equipment. New Zealand Foreign …

Australia and New Zealand sending aid ships as UN prepares for COVID-distanced relief operations
2 years, 11 months ago

Australia and New Zealand sending aid ships as UN prepares for COVID-distanced relief operations

ABC  

Australia and New Zealand have been loading naval ships and aircraft with aid for Tonga as the United Nations said it was preparing for distanced relief operations to avoid a COVID-19 outbreak in the Pacific island nation. Key points: At least three people have died and all homes on one of Tonga's small outer islands were destroyed, the government said …

Tonga records first-ever COVID-19 case, Pacific island nation prepares for lockdown
3 years, 2 months ago

Tonga records first-ever COVID-19 case, Pacific island nation prepares for lockdown

ABC  

Residents on Tonga's main island will go into a snap lockdown at midnight after the country recorded its first COVID-19 case since the beginning of the pandemic. Key points: Residents on Tonga's main island will begin a seven-day lockdown from Tuesday, with a daily curfew from 8pm to 6am The move comes after a passenger from New Zealand tested positive …

Tonga faces lockdown after first COVID case is detected
3 years, 2 months ago

Tonga faces lockdown after first COVID case is detected

Al Jazeera  

Prime Minister Pohiva Tuionetoa says South Pacific nation of 106,000 people could be locked down next week if infection spreads. Tongan Prime Minister Pohiva Tuionetoa warned on Saturday that residents on the country’s main island Tongatapu faced a possible lockdown next week after recording its first case of COVID-19. “We should use this time to get ready in case more …

Tonga reports its first ever COVID-19 case of the pandemic in traveller from New Zealand
3 years, 2 months ago

Tonga reports its first ever COVID-19 case of the pandemic in traveller from New Zealand

ABC  

The island nation of Tonga has reported its first-ever case of COVID-19 after a traveller from New Zealand tested positive. Key points: The island nation had remained COVID-free until now The case is a traveller from Christchurch who departed before the news came of community cases there New Zealand health officials said the traveller was fully vaccinated and returned a …

Tonga reports its first-ever COVID-19 case
3 years, 2 months ago

Tonga reports its first-ever COVID-19 case

NPR  

Tonga reports its first-ever COVID-19 case Enlarge this image toggle caption Mark Baker/AP Mark Baker/AP WELLINGTON, New Zealand — The island nation of Tonga on Friday reported its first-ever case of COVID-19 after a traveler from New Zealand tested positive. Sponsor Message Tonga's Prime Minister Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa said in a radio address that the traveler was among 215 passengers who …

Fiji was once first in line for an Aussie travel bubble, now it's battered by COVID. What happened?
3 years, 6 months ago

Fiji was once first in line for an Aussie travel bubble, now it's battered by COVID. What happened?

ABC  

As the Pacific's most mature and developed economy, Fiji has endured a bruising 12 months. The Reserve Bank of Fiji estimates the economy contracted by 19 per cent last year, a number that would presage societal collapse if it were recorded here in Australia. Fiji has now recorded close to 900 cases in this outbreak, with half of those cases …

Cases linked to Delta strain explode in Fiji, as government struggles to control outbreak
3 years, 7 months ago

Cases linked to Delta strain explode in Fiji, as government struggles to control outbreak

ABC  

Young mother Vaseva Radinivanuakula was shocked when her entire village in Fiji was put under lockdown. Key points: Fiji recorded a daily record of 83 cases on Sunday The outbreak is linked to the highly infectious Delta strain The government is being urged to introduce a lockdown on businesses Authorities said that a funeral held last Thursday in her tiny …

As more Pacific countries record COVID-19 cases, some governments are rethinking their coronavirus strategy
4 years, 1 month ago

As more Pacific countries record COVID-19 cases, some governments are rethinking their coronavirus strategy

ABC  

Vanuatu has joined just a handful of Pacific countries with active COVID-19 cases. Key points: Vanuatu doesn't have enough test kits and is prioritising people from medium- and high-risk areas Vanuatu doesn't have enough test kits and is prioritising people from medium- and high-risk areas Cases in Tahiti surged a month after it opened its borders to international tourists in …

Australian Government backs effort to distribute coronavirus vaccine globally with foreign aid funds
4 years, 4 months ago

Australian Government backs effort to distribute coronavirus vaccine globally with foreign aid funds

ABC  

The Federal Government has pledged $80 million to a global effort designed to ensure any future COVID-19 vaccine is distributed cheaply in poorer countries around the world. Key points: The Government wants Australia's neighbours in the Pacific and South-East Asia to have affordable access to any vaccine The Government wants Australia's neighbours in the Pacific and South-East Asia to have …

Is the Pacific evading coronavirus, or is it running a few weeks behind Australia on the infection curve?
4 years, 8 months ago

Is the Pacific evading coronavirus, or is it running a few weeks behind Australia on the infection curve?

ABC  

About 250 COVID-19 cases doesn't seem like all that many. "We have to keep watching on widespread community transmission and we must prepare for that," said Dr Corinne Capuano, the Director of the World Health Organisation's Division for Pacific Technical Support. "Pacific countries are also vulnerable to infectious diseases, even without COVID-19," Dr Capuano said. Even those Pacific Island countries …

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