COVID-19

On Thursday, seven deaths from COVID-19 were recorded, the heaviest daily toll since the discovery of the first indigenous cases of the disease on September 6.

It brings the death toll to 24 since September 6, announced by President Louis Mapou, during a joint speech with the French High Commissioner, Patrice Faure.

A total of 211 people are in hospital, including 29 in intensive care.

According to MEIDECC CEO, Paula Ma’u there are still community cases in Auckland and Queensland.

New dates may be scheduled for October once dates are confirmed by the National Emergency Committee.

Tonga permitted a repatriation flight from Vanuatu last month which brought in 14 Chinese nationals who were based in Vanuatu since June 2021.

They were approved by the Government to implement a development project having fulfilled the strict requirements required.

The Ministry of Health’s Permanent Secretary, Doctor James Fong said 69 cases are from the Western Division, 68 cases from the Central and nine cases from the Eastern Division.

There was one lone COVID-19 death reported.

A 93-year-old unvaccinated man from Suva died at home.

Dr Fong said there have been eight more deaths of positive patients classified as non-COVID deaths.

There have been 217 new recoveries since the last update and there are currently 12,870 active cases in the country.

Chief health officer Kerry Chant said the 20-year-old had significant underlying health conditions and was unvaccinated.

According NSW Health's own modelling, infections are anticipated to peak this week and hospitalisations will surge until mid-October.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the "next couple of months will be the most challenging" and in response to images of crowds gathering at weekend on Sydney's beaches, has asked the community to not become complacent.

According to the NEMC, the Government cannot allow the delta variant to enter Tonga nor take on this high-risk exercise at this point in time.

The committee also clarified that stranded Tongan nationals in Fiji, both in transit and students, are being supported by the Tongan Government with living allowances.

This follows claims by about 20 Tongan nationals stranded in Fiji that they have been neglected by their government.

At this stage, the suitable strategy for those intending to return home is to get vaccinated, the NEMC said in a statement.

The Ministry of Health’s Permanent Secretary, Doctor James Fong said the child was admitted at the CWM Hospital for five days before he succumbed to illness.

He was initially presented to a health centre in mild respiratory distress on 1 September.

"He was medically assessed and stabilised by the attending medical officer and then transferred to the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva for specialist care on the same day," Dr Fong said.

The infant was tested for COVID-19 as per protocol upon admission and he returned a positive result.

The figures were reported for the 24 hours to 8pm yesterday.

The youngest person to die was a man in his 20s who was not vaccinated and had underlying conditions.

Seven of the nine deaths were not vaccinated. One person had had one dose and one person had had two doses. All the people had underlying health conditions.

There are currently 1136 people with Covid-19 admitted to hospital; 194 people are in intensive care and 78 need ventilation.

An official says the four show mild symptoms and are isolating at home.

The government reported yesterday that seven people with Covid-19 were in hospital in Noumea, including a patient transferred from Lifou.

New Caledonia went into a two-week lockdown at midday Tuesday after three Covid-19 cases were detected in three different locations the day before.

The authorities have restated that the virus is in circulation in the community and urge the public to adhere to the restrictions.

The Tongan nationals claimed their government had turned a blind eye to their pleas to return home after it allowed 14 Chinese into the Kingdom late last month to work on a government project.

In a joint statement, the agitated travellers and seafarers claimed Tonga underestimated Fiji’s health system, assuming that they could get the COVID-19 virus into the country, the Fiji Times reports.

“Tonga trusts China, the place where COVID- 19 originated,” the statement read.

It brings the Delta outbreak's total fatalities in the state to 107.

Yesterday the state had 1116 new community cases and four more deaths from the virus.

NSW has now passed the 7 million mark for first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.

It has hit a 70 percent first-dose vaccination rate becoming the first state/ territory in Australia to do so.

There were 121,000 people vaccinated in the state yesterday.

From 5am tomorrow exercise will no longer be limited to one hour for those who live in Sydney's local government areas (LGAs) of concern.