Covid-stricken Australian aid ship makes contactless delivery to virus-free Tonga

Fears that aid missions could spark a Covid outbreak were highlighted when two dozen crew members were diagnosed with the virus

British and Australian navy ships have arrived in Tonga and attempted to deliver aid without making contact with anybody ashore to avoid spreading the coronavirus in a nation that has never had an outbreak.

The danger of spreading the disease was underscored when nearly two dozen sailors aboard the Australian ship HMAS Adelaide were reported infected on Tuesday, raising fears they could bring Covid-19 to the small Pacific archipelago devastated by an undersea volcanic eruption and a tsunami on 15 January.