New Zealand

New Zealand’s High Commissioner to Tonga, Tiffany Babington handed over supplies worth NZD$170,000 to the Minister for MEIDECC, Poasi Tei last week.

The supplies include 100 family tents and 500 hygiene kits.

They were donated under the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT).

In April this year, Tropical Cyclone Harold damaged 896 houses. 42 of those houses were completely destroyed in Tongatapu and ‘Eua and part of the supplies will be distributed to these families

Fakakoloa 'o Aotearoa 'aki 'a e Lotu Mo'oni, which translates to enriching Aotearoa New Zealand through prayer and faith, was a theme decided upon by the Tongan language week committee in September 2019.

For Dr. Linita Manu'atu, chairperson of the committee, said the term Lotu Mo'oni is more about God's spirit in us.

"With that spirit, people worship God in spirit and in truth and practice God's commandment, that is, love God with all your heart and love your neighbours as you love yourself," she explained.

The nest, originally the size of a two-person tent, was discovered in the Karekare beach area of the regional park.

Hanging high in a tree, the nest is built from a collection of sticks, bark and leaves.

Auckland Council said it would have been home to tens of thousands of wasps.

The nest is believed to have been expanding for up to two years to its final size of about 1m x 2m x 2.5m.

There was no media conference today.

In a statement, the Health Ministry said both of today's new cases had an epidemiological link to an existing case and they were both associated with the bereavement events sub-cluster that was linked to the Mt Roskill Evangelical Fellowship group.

The ministry said one of the new cases is a student at Sunnyvale School in Henderson.

The church is in the spotlight after it emerged prayer meetings were held during Auckland's alert level three.

Secretary of the Tongan Interfaith Leadership Network, Sione Tu'itahi, says the health of Pacific communities is important.

“I understand how important it is for the Pacific community and their spiritual well being. I think it’s about striking the balance of sustaining our wellbeing, whether it’s physical or spiritual, as well as obedience to the rules and regulations, which is about the safety and wellbeing of everyone.”

In a statement, the Ministry of Health says one of the imported cases was a man in his 20s who arrived from the Philippines on 3 September and was at a managed isolation facility when he tested positive on day 3 of his stay.

The other is a female in her late teens who arrived on the same flight from the Philippines and also tested positive on day three, it says.

Tongan academic and former MP, Dr Sitiveni Halapua, says it was the missionaries' support and advice that made a huge impact on shaping Tonga’s political formation and system.

“Tonga moved very fast. Their constitution was written by the Prime Minister Shirley Baker and other missionaries in 1875 after being declared a Christian nation by Taufa’ahau, who was later crowned as King George Tupou," says Halapua.     

“It made bigger nations like German and the British recognise Tonga as a civilized country and a sovereign nation. 

Tongan academic and former MP, Dr Sitiveni Halapua, says it was the missionaries' support and advice that made a huge impact on shaping Tonga’s political formation and system.

“Tonga moved very fast. Their constitution was written by the Prime Minister Shirley Baker and other missionaries in 1875 after being declared a Christian nation by Taufa’ahau, who was later crowned as King George Tupou," says Halapua.     

“It made bigger nations like German and the British recognise Tonga as a civilized country and a sovereign nation. 

Four further cases have been found in isolation.

Health Minister Chris Hipkins and Deputy Director-General of Health Robyn Shearer have given today's official Covid-19 briefing.

There are nine new cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand today, Shearer says, five in the community and four in managed isolation.

All the new cases are epidemiologically linked to the Auckland cluster, she says, three linked to the Mt Roskill evangelical church and two contacts of previously known cases.

PMN News reports the testing site at the Lotofale'ia Mangere Tongan Methodist Church was available from 9am until 6pm.

Superintendent of the Vahefonua Tonga o Aotearoa, Tevita Finau, said he wanted his church to host a testing station "for accessibility, for people in the area to be able to go somewhere they're familiar with".  ​​

He also believes with Pacific people being the most affected in this second outbreak, they need to take advantage of the free testing available.