Officials said on Tuesday that almost two dozen sailors on an Australian military ship bound for Tonga tested positive for the coronavirus, sparking concerns that they could carry COVID-19 to a Pacific island that has so far avoided the pandemic.
Defence Minister of Australia, Peter Dutton, said that his nation was working with Tongan officials to keep the ship at sea and ensure there was no danger to Tonga’s 105,000 people.
Tongan officials have been apprehensive of receiving international aid for fear that it could lead to a worse tragedy than the massive undersea volcano explosion that occurred ten days ago. Volcanic ash contaminated drinking water and produced a wave that damaged scores of homes.
Tonga has only recorded one case of COVID-19 since the pandemic began and has avoided any outbreaks. It is one of the few countries on the planet that is now virus-free. According to Our World in Data, about 61 percent of Tongans are completely immunised.
On the HMAS Adelaide, which left Brisbane on Friday, 23 crew members were infected, according to Australian officials.
“They urgently need the aid, but they don’t want to risk contracting COVID,” Dutton told Sky News. “We’ll get through it all as rapidly as we can.”
It’s the second time an Australian assistance cargo has had at least one crew member test positive. A C-17 Globemaster military cargo plane had previously been turned around in mid-flight due to a medical emergency.
Meanwhile, a cable company official stated that the internet access on Tonga’s main island may be restored in two weeks, however the link to the smaller islands could take considerably longer.
Following the eruption and tsunami, the only undersea fiber-optic connection that connects the Pacific nation to the rest of the globe was broken.
As a result, most people were unable to communicate with their loved ones living abroad. People couldn’t get through on their phones, email, or social media for days.
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