World News: Tonga goes into lockdown; Covid cases not at international aid port, says official – Gulf Digital News

World News: Tonga goes into lockdown; Covid cases not at international aid port, says official – Gulf Digital News

SYDNEY: Tsunami-hit Tonga said two wharf workers had come down with Covid-19, prompting the previously virus-free nation to go into lockdown on Wednesday, but the waterfront workers were not on docks being used by foreign navies to deliver aid.

There have been fears an influx of international ships and planes delivering badly-needed water, shelter and food after a devastating volcanic eruption had increased the risk of a pandemic outbreak in the isolated Pacific nation. Tonga had recorded only one previous Covid case.

The Australian navy ship, HMAS Adelaide, was known to have 23 Covid  cases onboard when it docked at Vuna wharf last week and offloaded 250 pallets of aid to a quarantine zone.

Tonga's deputy head of mission in Australia, Curtis Tu'ihalangingie, told Reuters the two cases were detected at a different wharf and "not the one that the HMAS Adelaide used".

"The wharf that had the case is a different one used for commercial cargoes," he said.

The delivery of aid would not change as a result of the Covid cases, he said, adding, "frontliners will need to be more careful".

The Australian Defence Force's Chief of Joint Operations Greg Bilton said it did not appear the HMAS Adelaide was the source and