Tonga reports more Covid-19 cases, Samoa extends lockdown for 2 weeks

Suva: Tonga reported 174 new Covid-19 cases over the past few days, while Samoa has decided to extend its level two lockdown for another two weeks.

According to Matangi Tonga Online news website on Tuesday evening, Tonga’s Ministry of Health confirmed that the Pacific island nation recorded 174 Covid-19 cases from Sunday to Monday, bringing the total number of active Covid-19 cases to 1,217, the majority of which are in Tonga’s main island of Tongatapu.

The Ministry also said 9,255 people in Tonga have recovered from Covid-19, and the number of Covid-19 related deaths remains at 11, Xinhua news agency reported.

At present, 91 per cent of Tonga’s target population above the age of 12 years have had the second doses of Covid-19 vaccine, at least 98 per cent have received the first doses and 56 per cent have got their booster shots.

Tonga is still under the orange lockdown level restriction and the curfew is from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. local time.

Meanwhile, in Samoa the cabinet has decided to extend the level two lockdown for another two weeks effective on Tuesday midnight until May 17.

Samoan Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa has announced the resumption of international flights in May, though restricted to Samoans travelling in for various purposes and for all those contracted to work in the island nation.

The Prime Minister also said Samoa will re-open its borders to fully vaccinated international travellers in August or September this year.

Critical to the opening of borders are current vaccination rates, amending quarantine requirements and opening of borders by Fiji, Australia and New Zealand for Samoa, she added.

In Samoa, 92.6 per cent of people aged 18 years and above have received the second doses of Covid-19 vaccine, while a total of 70,439 have had their booster shots.

Samoa now has 19 Covid-19 related deaths.