Tonga records its first coronavirus case

The Pacific island nation of Tonga on Friday said an inbound traveler from New Zealand has tested positive for COVID-19. It marks Tonga’s first-ever coronavirus case since the pandemic began. The traveler was one of 215 passengers who arrived on a flight from New Zealand’s city of Christchurch on Wednesday and were undergoing routine quarantine and testing.

How has the country responded? Authorities quarantined police officers, airport staff, and health workers on duty when the flight landed. Tonga’s Prime Minister Pohiva Tu’i’onetoa in a Friday radio address encouraged people to follow curfews and practice social distancing. About 31 percent of the country’s 106,000 residents are fully vaccinated, while another 16 percent have received their first dose. New Zealand’s Ministry of Health said the traveler was fully vaccinated with Pfizer and had tested negative before departing the country.

Dig deeper: Read Dr. Charles Horton’s Q&A on COVID-19 vaccines.