Local reports claim that Tonga’s first ever Covid-19 case was brought in by a Mormon missionary, who had returned via New Zealand from Africa.
After contracting its first infection during the entire pandemic, Tongatapu, the main island of Polynesia was put under lockdown.
Because of its remote location in the Pacific Ocean, the archipelago was one of the few remaining places that has not yet recorded a case.
Tonga’s first ever Covid-19 case was brought in by a Mormon missionary, who had returned via New Zealand from Africa.
Tonga’s main islands were placed under lockdown for one week after the South Pacific nation reported their first case of coronavirus in the country since the outbreak.
However, the quarantine hotel was forced to isolate a traveller who had tested positive for the virus.
The youth missionary with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had been on mission in Africa and spent several weeks in New Zealand before returning to Tonga, Civil Beat reported.
He was among 215 passengers on a repatriation flight from Christchurch and had been double vaccinated with the Pfizer jab, had no symptoms and recorded two negative tests before the flight.
Christchurch had been immune to the virus for many months, until last week when several cases were reported in the community.
He was given a weak positive result upon landing. Two additional tests also showed positive results.
The remote location of the archipelago in the Pacific Ocean made it one the last places in the world to record a Covid instance.
He was the only person on the flight who had a positive result. The others will continue to be tested and remain in quarantine 21 days.
According to the Church of the Latter Day Saints (CofLatter Day Saints), Tonga has one of the largest numbers of Mormons in the world with 66,000 members from a country of just under 100,000.
In 1891, the first Mormon mission to Tonga was made. Since then, their numbers have steadily increased, much like other Polynesian island countries such as Samoa and Fiji.
Its lockdown sparked by the arrival of the missionary began just after midnight on Tuesday and applies only to the island of Tongatapu, where 70 per cent of the population live.
According to Matangi Tonga, the Cabinet of the nation ordered the move to ensure the safety & health of our people’.
People will need to be able to stay at home if they are not buying groceries or medicines, accessing banking services, or getting medical help (file image).
Schools, bars, and restaurants are locked down, and nighttime curfews are enforced.
People are not allowed to leave their home unless they need to buy groceries or medicine, get medical help, or access banking services.
Tongans gathered at vaccination centers across the country to learn about the news.
According to research group Our World in Data., only 35% of Tongans are fully immunized and 51% have had at least one dose.
Tonga was one of the few countries that has not been affected by the virus because of its isolation.
Fiji, a neighboring nation, had been immune to major outbreaks up until April, when the Delta variant of the virus infected more people than 50,000 and killed at least 673.
Tonga’s frontline workers, including police officers and airport staff, who were on duty at the time that the plane arrived were also placed in quarantine.