{"id":1269103,"date":"2022-02-03T18:52:57","date_gmt":"2022-02-03T23:52:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1269103"},"modified":"2022-02-03T18:53:05","modified_gmt":"2022-02-03T23:53:05","slug":"tonga-records-first-ever-local-coronavirus-cases-after-receiving-chinese-tsunami-aid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tonga-records-first-ever-local-coronavirus-cases-after-receiving-chinese-tsunami-aid\/","title":{"rendered":"Tonga Records First-Ever Local Coronavirus Cases After Receiving Chinese Tsunami Aid"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftonga-records-first-ever-local-coronavirus-cases-after-receiving-chinese-tsunami-aid%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1269103&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p class=\"subheading\">The South Pacific island nation of Tonga <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/asia-pacific\/tonga-goes-into-lockdown-covid-cases-not-international-aid-port-official-2022-02-02\/\">entered<\/a> a Chinese coronavirus lockdown on Wednesday expected to last at least 48 hours after health officials in the remote kingdom detected Tonga\u2019s first-ever community transmission of the disease on Tuesday in two port workers, Reuters reported.<\/p>\n<p>Two people who work at a Tongan commercial wharf and three of their family members tested positive for the Chinese coronavirus on February 1, prompting Tongan health officials to order the entire nation into a two-day lockdown to contain the outbreak starting February 2. Tonga\u2019s port has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-asia-60210867\">received<\/a> increased shipments of foreign aid \u2014 from&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/politics\/federal\/australian-planes-and-gunships-loaded-with-supplies-for-tonga-20220118-p59p81.html\">Australia<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.beehive.govt.nz\/release\/new-zealand-provide-further-help-tonga\">New Zealand<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.xinhuanet.com\/english\/20220119\/b321a2ced410486193f7ec021e8b330c\/c.html\">Fiji<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.globaltimes.cn\/page\/202201\/1246508.shtml\">China<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stripes.com\/theaters\/asia_pacific\/2022-01-19\/tonga-volcano-eruption-tsunami-us-emergency-aid-4352117.html\">U.S.<\/a>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/reliefweb.int\/report\/tonga\/uk-support-tonga-tsunami-response-aid-and-royal-navy-ship\">U.K.<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rfi.fr\/en\/international\/20220124-france-sends-aid-to-volcano-struck-tonga-from-neighbouring-new-caledonia\">France<\/a> \u2014 in recent days after the archipelago suffered a double natural disaster in mid-January consisting of a volcanic eruption and subsequent tsunami.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"><\/figure>\n<p>Tonga\u2019s government said Tuesday the \u201ctwo wharf workers [who] had come down with COVID-19 [Chinese coronavirus] \u2026 were not on docks being used by foreign navies to deliver aid,\u201d according to Reuters.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_19745322\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/media.breitbart.com\/media\/2022\/02\/GettyImages-1238127943.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-19745322 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/GettyImages-1238127943-1024x683-1.jpg\" alt=\"A woman (C) carries a refilled gas container in the centre of the capital Nuku&#039;alofa ahead of the country&#039;s first lockdown on February 2, 2022, after Covid-19 was detected in the previously virus-free Pacific kingdom as it struggles to recover from the deadly January 15 volcanic eruption and tsunami. (Photo by Mary Lyn FONUA \/ Matangi Tonga \/ AFP) (Photo by MARY LYN FONUA\/Matangi Tonga\/AFP via Getty Images)\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">A woman (C) carries a refilled gas container in the centre of the capital Nuku\u2019alofa ahead of the country\u2019s first lockdown on February 2, 2022, after Covid-19 was detected in the previously virus-free Pacific kingdom as it struggles to recover from the deadly January 15 volcanic eruption and tsunami. (Photo by Mary Lyn FONUA \/ Matangi Tonga \/ AFP) (Photo by MARY LYN FONUA\/Matangi Tonga\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Tonga\u2019s deputy head of mission in Australia, Curtis Tu\u2019ihalangingie, told Reuters on February 1 the two positive coronavirus cases were detected in port workers stationed at \u201ca different wharf\u201d and \u201cnot the one that the HMAS Adelaide used.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<div id=\"attachment_19714930\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/australia-hmas-adelaide-sits-nuku-alofa-deliver-humanitarian-stores-medical-supplies-tonga-residents.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-19714930\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/australia-hmas-adelaide-sits-nuku-alofa-deliver-humanitarian-stores-medical-supplies-tonga-residents.jpg\" alt=\"AFP\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Australia\u2019s HMAS Adelaide sits near Nuku\u2019alofa to deliver humanitarian stores and medical supplies to Tonga residents (AFP)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>He referred to the HMAS Adelaide, which is a Royal Australian Navy ship currently tasked with delivering humanitarian aid to Tonga by Canberra. The vessel \u201carrived in Tonga last week to deliver aid supplies with 23 confirmed COVID [Chinese coronavirus] cases on board,\u201d the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2022-02-02\/tonga-into-lockdown-two-covid-cases\/100797412\">reported<\/a> on February 1.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe wharf that had the case is a different one used for commercial cargoes,\u201d Tu\u2019ihalangingie told Reuters on February 1.<\/p>\n<p>He said the HMAS Adelaide\u2019s aid delivery to Tonga \u201cwould not change as a result of the COVID [Chinese coronavirus] cases\u201d adding, \u201cfrontliners will need to be more careful.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Chief of Joint Operations for the Australian Defense Force, Greg Bilton, told Sky News Australia on February 2 he did not believe there was any \u201cconnection\u201d or \u201cevidence\u201d linking the HMAS Adelaide to Tonga\u2019s coronavirus outbreak this week.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cWe unloaded in a manner that was Covid-friendly, contactless, in line with arrangements made with Tongan officials at the wharf,\u201d he told Sky News Australia.<\/p>\n<p>Bilton added that the HMAS Adelaide \u201cwill take back samples from the Tongan cases so that an Australian health facility can assess the strain and find out which country it came from.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo far, foreign aid deliveries [to Tonga] there have been handled using contactless protocols to stop the virus spreading from abroad,\u201d the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) observed on February 2.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey include leaving humanitarian supplies in isolation for three days before they are handled by Tongans,\u201d according to the BBC.<\/p>\n<p>China\u2019s Foreign Ministry on January 20 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fmprc.gov.cn\/mfa_eng\/xwfw_665399\/s2510_665401\/2511_665403\/202201\/t20220120_10631078.html\">claimed<\/a> its natural disaster aid was the first to reach Tongans on January 19. Beijing said it managed to achieve this feat by facilitating a transfer of \u201cemergency supplies, including drinking water and food\u201d through the Chinese Embassy in Tonga. The description seemed to indicate the materials were already in Tonga before the Chinese Embassy merely distributed them among locals. China is currently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/asia\/2022\/02\/02\/32-more-coronavirus-cases-genocide-olympics-bubble-11-hospitalized\/\">battling<\/a> a nationwide resurgence of the Chinese coronavirus that has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/asia\/2021\/12\/02\/china-admits-loopholes-disastrous-coronavirus-response\/\">affected<\/a> its own international <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/asia\/2021\/11\/09\/coronavirus-chinese-city-outbreak-origin\/\">ports<\/a> and export of goods.<\/p>\n<p>Tonga\u2019s January 15 volcanic eruption \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/gizmodo.com\/haunting-before-and-after-images-show-devastation-wroug-1848431374\/slides\/2\">obliterated<\/a>\u201d an uninhabited island of Tonga called Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha\u02bbapai and, together with a resultant tsunami, <a href=\"https:\/\/reliefweb.int\/disaster\/vo-2022-000005-ton\">destroyed<\/a> entire villages on other islands and severely damaged an undersea communications cable that connects Tonga to the international community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The South Pacific island nation of Tonga entered a Chinese coronavirus lockdown on Wednesday expected to last at least 48 hours after health officials in the remote kingdom detected Tonga\u2019s &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1269103","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1269103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1269103"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1269103\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1269103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1269103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1269103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}