Tongans flocked to vaccination centres today after the government warned the main island Tongatapu might be plunged into lockdown next week after recording its first case of Covid-19.
The infected person was among 215 people on a repatriation flight from the New Zealand city of Christchurch. A routine test on arrival on Thursday, while in compulsory managed isolation, returned a positive result the following day.
Prime Minister Pohiva Tuʻiʻonetoa warned islanders to prepare for the possibility of a lockdown if more cases emerge but said there was no need for immediate action as it could take "more than three days" before a person with the virus becomes contagious. "We should use this time to get ready in case more people are confirmed they