• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • Write for us
Today Headline
No Result
View All Result
  • breaking news today
    • Politics news
    • Sports
    • Science News
  • Entertainment News
  • Technology News
    • Automotive
  • Health News
    • Lifestyle
    • Insurance
  • Finance News
    • Money
  • Enterprise
  • Contact Us
  • breaking news today
    • Politics news
    • Sports
    • Science News
  • Entertainment News
  • Technology News
    • Automotive
  • Health News
    • Lifestyle
    • Insurance
  • Finance News
    • Money
  • Enterprise
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
TodayHeadline
No Result
View All Result

Tonga’s virus outbreak growing rapidly; omicron confirmed

February 10, 2022
in Health News
0
Tonga’s virus outbreak growing rapidly; omicron confirmed


Tonga's virus outbreak growing rapidly; omicron confirmed
In this photo provided by the Australian Defense Force, debris from damaged building and trees are strewn around on Atata Island in Tonga on Jan. 28, 2022, following the eruption of an underwater volcano and subsequent tsunami. Coronavirus cases continue to rise rapidly in Tonga, and tests have confirmed that the particularly contagious omicron variant is behind the isolated Pacific island nation’s first community outbreak since the start of the pandemic, officials said Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022. Credit: POIS Christopher Szumlanski/Australian Defense Force via AP, File

Coronavirus cases continue to rise rapidly in Tonga, and tests have confirmed that the particularly contagious omicron variant is behind the isolated Pacific island nation’s first community outbreak since the start of the pandemic, officials said Thursday.

Health Minister Saia Piukala told reporters that 31 more people had tested positive for the virus, nearly doubling Tonga’s active cases for the second day in a row to a total of 64, the online Matangi Tonga news portal and other media reported.

While the number may seem small, the nation of 105,000 had managed to escape thus far without any infections aside from a single case brought in from a missionary returning to Tonga from Africa last October, which was successfully isolated.

But with the deliveries of critically-important international aid following the Jan. 15 eruption of the massive undersea volcano and a resulting tsunami, two dock workers tested positive at the start of last week for COVID-19.

Despite efforts to contain the outbreak, it has been spreading and is now being reported in more areas, Piukala said.

Five tests that had been sent to Australia for analysis confirmed it was the omicron variant of the virus, he said.

Three people were confirmed killed in the eruption and tsunami, and several small settlements in outlying islands were wiped out. A thick layer of volcanic ash also blanketed the main island and tainted much of the drinking water, and may have damaged crops.

The only fiber-optic cable to the island was severed in the eruption, making communications sporadic, at best. With several areas now in complete lockdown, the Education Ministry has started home schooling with teachers giving lessons over FM radio.

The Red Cross and other health authorities have warned that as Tonga tries to deal both with the aftermath of the natural disaster and the coronavirus outbreak, its fragile health care system risks becoming quickly overwhelmed.

At the same time, Tonga’s isolation—which helped protect it from the virus for more than two years—is now a liability, making it more difficult to provide outside assistance.

In a sign of hope, however, Piukala said all of the latest cases have so far only reported mild symptoms, and that all were vaccinated except for the children.

He did not say how many children were affected.

Tonga’s vaccination program had already been doing well, but the current outbreak has led thousands of people to turn out for their first shots or boosters.

As of Wednesday, 98% of the country’s eligible population, aged 12 and up, have received at least one dose and 88% are fully vaccinated. More than 67% of Tonga’s total population has been fully vaccinated, according to the Health Ministry.


Long COVID-free, isolated Pacific islands hit with outbreaks


© 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Citation:
Tonga’s virus outbreak growing rapidly; omicron confirmed (2022, February 10)
retrieved 10 February 2022
from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-02-tonga-virus-outbreak-rapidly-omicron.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Tags: confirmedGrowingOmicronoutbreakrapidlyTongasvirus
Previous Post

Dancing on Ice’s Liberty Poole strips to lingerie to scoff pizza ahead of next routine

Next Post

Drone warfare

Related Posts

Award-winning immunologist reveals how staring at candles for 10 minutes can snuff out stress
Health News

Award-winning immunologist reveals how staring at candles for 10 minutes can snuff out stress

Whether you're driving the children...

Read more
Relief for 1.7million Britons suffering urinary tract infections
Health News

Relief for 1.7million Britons suffering urinary tract infections

Relief for 1.7million Britons suffering...

Read more
DR LIZ O’RIORDAN: Did drinking like a fish aged 25 contribute to my breast cancer at 40?
Health News

DR LIZ O’RIORDAN: Did drinking like a fish aged 25 contribute to my breast cancer at 40?

A few weeks back I...

Read more
Cough medicine link to lethal allergic reaction during surgery
Health News

Cough medicine link to lethal allergic reaction during surgery

A cough medicine taken by...

Read more
Brown noise: How the steady hum of a jet engine could cure your insomnia
Health News

Brown noise: How the steady hum of a jet engine could cure your insomnia

Listening to the gentle rumbling...

Read more
Load More
Next Post
Drone warfare

Drone warfare

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Newly Released Video Shows LSU Student Madison Brooks Leaving Bar Hours Before She Was Struck By a Car and Died

Newly Released Video Shows LSU Student Madison Brooks Leaving Bar Hours Before She Was Struck By a Car and Died

ALEX BRUMMER: Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s flawed rallying cry

ALEX BRUMMER: Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s flawed rallying cry

BBC Graham Norton Show viewers have same stunned reaction to Buffy star Sarah Michelle Gellar

BBC Graham Norton Show viewers have same stunned reaction to Buffy star Sarah Michelle Gellar

RAY MASSEY: It’s a jobs jamboree in Britain’s motor industry

RAY MASSEY: It’s a jobs jamboree in Britain’s motor industry

Ukraine Russia war updates: Zelensky slams Olympics chief as ‘nearly 67,000 Russian war crimes’ recorded

Ukraine Russia war updates: Zelensky slams Olympics chief as ‘nearly 67,000 Russian war crimes’ recorded

Buffalo Bills’ thankful Damar Hamlin speaks publicly for first time in video | Buffalo Bills

T20 live: Australia shooting for clean sweep against Pakistan in final hit-out before World Cup

T20 live: Australia shooting for clean sweep against Pakistan in final hit-out before World Cup

My daughter’s eyes were glued shut

My daughter’s eyes were glued shut

About Us

Todayheadline the independent news and topics discovery
A home-grown and independent news and topic aggregation . displays breaking news linking to news websites all around the world.

Follow Us

Latest News

Ukraine Russia war updates: Zelensky slams Olympics chief as ‘nearly 67,000 Russian war crimes’ recorded

Ukraine Russia war updates: Zelensky slams Olympics chief as ‘nearly 67,000 Russian war crimes’ recorded

Buffalo Bills’ thankful Damar Hamlin speaks publicly for first time in video | Buffalo Bills

T20 live: Australia shooting for clean sweep against Pakistan in final hit-out before World Cup

T20 live: Australia shooting for clean sweep against Pakistan in final hit-out before World Cup

Ukraine Russia war updates: Zelensky slams Olympics chief as ‘nearly 67,000 Russian war crimes’ recorded

Ukraine Russia war updates: Zelensky slams Olympics chief as ‘nearly 67,000 Russian war crimes’ recorded

Buffalo Bills’ thankful Damar Hamlin speaks publicly for first time in video | Buffalo Bills

T20 live: Australia shooting for clean sweep against Pakistan in final hit-out before World Cup

T20 live: Australia shooting for clean sweep against Pakistan in final hit-out before World Cup

  • Real Estate
  • Parenting
  • Cooking
  • NFL Games On TV Today
  • Travel and Tourism
  • Home & Garden
  • Pets
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
  • About

© 2021 All rights are reserved Todayheadline

No Result
View All Result
  • Real Estate
  • Parenting
  • Cooking
  • NFL Games On TV Today
  • Travel and Tourism
  • Home & Garden
  • Pets
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
  • About

© 2021 All rights are reserved Todayheadline

Go to mobile version