Pacific / Tuvalu

Tonga to keep testing man who arrived with Covid

14:53 pm on 5 November 2021

Tongan health officials will again test the man who arrived in the Kingdom with Covid-19 on a flight from New Zealand.

Tonga's capital Nuku'alofa (file photo) went into lockdown this week Photo: 123rf/ Don Mammoser

The man has been isolating at a clinic outside of the capital, Nuku'alofa where health officials tested the man again on Wednesday and a negative result was recorded.

The CEO of Tonga's Health Ministry, Siale 'Akau'ola, said the man will be tested again today.

The government and health officials are scheduled to hold a press conference this afternoon to provide an update.

The first case to arrive in the kingdom prompted Tonga's main island to go into lockdown at 11.59pm on Monday.

Confirmation of the case also saw a rush of people in the Kingdom clamour to get vaccinated.

About 7000 people were vaccinated between last Friday and Monday, which is about 7 percent of the population of Tonga.

Meanwhile, a man who arrived in Auckland from Tuvalu and tested positive for Covid-19 in MIQ on Sunday has now tested negative.

He arrived in Auckland on a medevac flight from Funafuti with 17 other seriously ill patients and their 18 close relatives on 19 October.

The man tested positive on his 11th day in managed isolation at the Stamford Plaza hotel while his partner tested negative.

Tuvalu High Commissioner to New Zealand Paulson Panapa said the couple were moved to the Jet Park quarantine facility.