Coronavirus cases in Tonga continue to climb rapidly, and testing have verified that the extremely contagious omicron form is the reason for the contagious outbreak in the isolated Pacific island. It happens to be the nation’s first communal outbreaksince the pandemic began, officials said on Thursday.
According to the online Matangi Tonga news portal and other media, Health Minister Saia Piukala told reporters that 31 more persons had tested positive for the virus, virtually tripling Tonga’s active cases for the second day in a row to 64.
While the number may appear tiny, the nation of 105,000 has managed to avoid infection thus far, with the exception of a single case brought in by a missionary returning from Africa last October, which was successfully isolated.
However, with the delivery of essential humanitarian relief following the colossal underwater volcano’s Jan. 15 eruption and associated tsunami, two dock employees tested positive for COVID-19 at the beginning of last week.
Despite efforts to restrict the outbreak, it has expanded and is already being detected in new places, according to Piukala.
He claimed five tests sent to Australia for analysis proved it was the omicron strain of the virus.
Three individuals were confirmed dead as a result of the eruption and tsunami, and several small communities on nearby islands were destroyed. A heavy coating of volcanic ash also coated the main island, contaminating much of the drinking water and perhaps causing crop damage.
The explosion cut the island’s lone fiber-optic connection, rendering communications spotty at best. With numerous places now under complete lockdown, the Education Ministry has begun home schooling, with teachers broadcasting courses over FM radio.
The Red Cross and other health officials have cautioned that as Tonga deals with the repercussions of the natural disaster as well as the coronavirus outbreak, its vulnerable health-care infrastructure risks being overburdened.
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