Tongan Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni has confirmed that a total of 20 new positive COVID-19 cases have been recorded Wednesday.
This is an increase from the 14 cases announced Tuesday.
That means Tonga now has 34 COVID-19 cases since 01 February and 35 in total since the first case was
reported late 2021.
The new cases are close contacts of earlier cases and include adults and children.
The tests were conducted over the last 24 hours around the red zones in Vaini, Pili and new additions of Sopu and Halaano. Sopu and Halaano are also under strict lockdown orders.
The government continues to monitor the situation and the Ministry of Health is working around the clock
to test all within the identified red zone communities.
Vaccination rate is at 98 percent for those who have had their first dose and 88 percent for those who have been fully vaccinated. Over 2,000 people have had their Booster shots.
Prime Minister Sovaleni announced that Government will assist families around Tonga with power bills by subsidising Tonga Power Limited with relief assistance of $100(US$44) each for all registered residential electricity meter (household) in the islands of Tongatapu and Vava’u.
Additional assistance is now being processed by the Ministry of Finance that will be accessible through
Constituency Offices around Tongatapu and Vava’u.
The additional relief assistance of TOP$10,000(US$4,424) for the three constituencies of Vava’u and $20,000 (US$8,849) for the ten constituencies of Tongatapu will assist hard-pressed families, including those not connected to electricity in their constituencies.
He also announced that the Ministry of Education has started home schooling through Radio Tonga’s 90FM and 87.50FM and that will continue for the rest of the lockdown period.
SOURCE: TONGA GOVT/ PACNEWS
