Tonga in lockdown after COVID spread from wharf workers

Enlarge / This photo shows the Australian Navy's HMAS Adelaide docked at Vuna Wharf in the Tongan capital of Nukualofa on January 26, 2022. The Adelaide delivered aid following the January 15 eruption of the nearby Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai underwater volcano. (credit: Getty | Mary Lyn Fonua)

The archipelago nation of Tonga went into lockdown Wednesday after detecting five cases of COVID-19 and its first community transmission. This happens amid recovery efforts from a massive underwater volcanic eruption and tsunami in mid-January that covered islands in ash and cut off communication.

The nation of 106,000 residents including 171 islands-45 of which are inhabited-has almost completely thwarted the pandemic virus to this point. The five new cases bring Tonga's total COVID-19 case count to six, including one case detected in a hotel quarantine in October.

But an outpouring of international aid following the eruption raised widespread concern that Tonga's COVID-free streak would be broken. The Australian navy ship HMAS Adelaide that docked last week was loaded with aid supplies and 23 known COVID-19 cases.

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