The exact source of the Tongan community cases of Covid-19 is still unknown despite interviews with the first two primary sources and an investigation which has been underway since last week.
Minister of Health Saia Piukala said the two patients whose infection with the virus that led to the current lockdown were baffled by their infection.
Hon Piukala said the duo did not recall any situation while working at the wharf that could lead them to believe a breach was responsible for their infections.
Piukala previously denied rumours that the source might link to the Australian helicopter carrier, HMAS Adelaide, which arrived in Tonga last week. More than 20 of its crew have been infected and are self-isolating on board.
Tongatapu and Vava’u Lockdown
Tongatapu and Vava’u were currently in a two-week extended lockdown while restrictions in the rest of the country’s outer islands were eased in response to the seven community cases announced yesterday.
Dr Reynold ‘Ofanoa from the Ministry of Health’s frontliners said during yesterday’s press conference that the Ministry had reviewed the process of decontamination of the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) worn by the frontliners.
Dr ‘Ofanoa said the decontamination process included frontliners having to have a clean shower before changing to their casual clothing.
He said the review was made to see if there was a breach that led to those two primary cases testing positive last week.
Dr ‘Ofanoa was responding after a journalist claimed during the conference she had information that there was a breach of how the PPE was handled.
Tonga sends samples to Australia
Meanwhile, Hon. Piukala said samples from Tonga had been sent to a Melbourne lab to identify the Covid variant.
He said according to the evidence the Ministry had collected about the active cases he strongly believed it was Omicron.
The Minister said it was expected the results would be sent back to Tonga this week.
Hon. Piukala said 20 Health frontliners had been told to isolate at home after they treated the fifth patient.
He said the 14-day incubation period had become law because most people who had been infected with the virus were likely to show symptoms within 11 days.
The 14 days self-quarantine period allowed extra time for suspects to be certain they had not been infected and could not spread the virus to others.
Hon. Piukala also revealed Health officials knew of people who breached the home isolation protocol including some who were unvaccinated.
The number of unvaccinated people in the kingdom was 2889 last week, but this had dropped to 2530, the Minister said yesterday.
