Tongatapu, the main island of the Tonga archipelago, will begin a week-long confinement from this Tuesday.

The whole island, including the capital Nuku'alofa, will be confined until next Tuesday.

It was Pohiva Tuionetoa, the Prime Minister of the archipelago, who broke the news.

The leader told the press that this measure was aimed at "ensuring the safety of our population [...] in order to prevent or minimize the spread of Covid-19 in the Kingdom of Tonga".

A poorly vaccinated population

The small Pacific kingdom was so far one of the few countries in the world to have escaped the pandemic.

But the state recently recorded its very first case of coronavirus.

This first contamination was detected in a person in isolation returning to Tonga after a stay in New Zealand.

Most of Tonga's 106,000 people live on Tongatapu Island.

Less than a third have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

The infected person had received a second injection of the vaccine in mid-October, according to health officials.

Trip

Health pass: UK and Armenia now integrated into EU system

Society

Coronavirus: The stress of the pandemic makes it harder to make (even simple) decisions

  • epidemic

  • Coronavirus

  • Confinement

  • Isle

  • Covid 19

  • World