Tonga extends State of Emergency in response to COVID-19

The Prime Minister of Tonga Dr Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa has extended the State of Emergency in the Kingdom until Friday, 17 April 2020.

The extension was announced over the weekend to be effective from Easter Sunday, 12 April 2020.

Government Notice:

IN EXERCISE of the powers conferred by sections 36 and 37 of the Emergency Management Act 2007 and in recognition of –

A    the declaration made by the World Health Organization of Novel Coronavirus (“COVID-19”) as a global pandemic which is accelerating;

B    the Public Health Emergency Order dated 13 March 2020 and the Declaration of an Emergency Notifiable Condition dated 13 March 2020 and the effort to prevent or minimize the spread of the COVID-19 within the Kingdom of Tonga; and

C    the Declaration of a State of Emergency dated 20 March 2020,

And upon the recommendation of the Minister responsible for Emergency Management, I HEREBY DECLARE this National COVID-19 Restrictions Notice (“Notice”) upon the following terms and conditions –

(1) This Notice shall be effective from 1:00am Sunday 12 April 2020 to 8:00pm, Friday 17 April 2020 and shall apply to the areas specified in the Declaration of a State of Emergency dated 20 March 2020, unless further renewed.

(2) For the purposes of this Notice, unless the context requires otherwise –

“authorised officers” means any person or class of persons authorised by the Minister to exercise the emergency powers in accordance to section 36 of the Emergency Management Act 2007 and any person or class of persons designated by the Minister of Health under the Public Health Acti 2008;

“domestic public transportation” means the following –

(a) any other motor vehicle carrying passengers for hire or reward and includes a taxi (whether three wheeled or four wheeled) passenger bus and passenger lorry;

(b) ships as defined under section 2 of the Shipping Act [Cap 136]; or

(c) aircrafts as defined under the Civil Aviation Act 2014.

“essential services” means services defined in Appendix A;

“kava clubs” means –

(a) a group of 2 or more people consuming kava at a public location; or

(b) a group of 2 or more people consuming kava at a private location.

(c) paragraph (a) and (b) does not apply to people living in the same residential household.

“Minister” means the Minister responsible for emergency management;

“Social Distancing” means keeping 1.5 meters distance from other persons at all times.

(3) Night-time curfews shall apply from 8:00pm to 6:00am.

(4) The night-time curfew shall be enforced by the Tonga Police, His Majesty’s Armed Forces and relevant authorised officers.

(5) Liquor licensed night clubs and clubs shall be closed.

(6) All public facilities, events and gatherings such as a religious, kava clubs, bingo, sports clubs, gyms, sporting events and activities, celebrations of birthdays, marriages and other recreational or related gatherings shall be prohibited.

(7) All essential services listed in Appendix A shall resume normal operations.

(8) All essential services listed in Appendix A, licensed businesses, business activities, authorities shall ensure social distancing is observed at all times.

(9) A funeral gathering shall be restricted to a total of 10 people indoors and 20 people outdoors with an authorised officer to be present throughout.

(10) Tonga Police and His Majesty’s Armed Forces and nay authorised officers for the purposes of securing public safety and maintenance of public health shall have the power to enforce this Notice.

(11) All persons shall observe and comply with social distancing at all times.

(12) All persons shall observe personal hand hygiene and shall follow all Public Health Advisories issued by the Ministry of Health in relation to COVID-19.

(13) All provisions of this Notice shall apply to all persons.

(14) Paragraphs (3), (4), (6), (9) and (10) of this Notice shall not apply to the essential services listed in Appendix A.

DECLARED at Nuku’alofa this 11th day of April 2020.