Tonga Closely Monitors Spread Of New COVID-19 Strain

The South Pacific island nation of Tonga is closely monitoring the spread of a new, more contagious COVID-19 strain found in Britain

SUVA (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Dec, 2020 ) :The South Pacific island nation of Tonga is closely monitoring the spread of a new, more contagious COVID-19 strain found in Britain.

According to Tonga's leading news website of Matangi, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tonga's Health Ministry, Siale 'Akau'ola, said on Tuesday that they would closely study how this new variant evolves and would adapt quickly to any new threat from it.

He said the information needed to know about the coronavirus variant including whether it causes more serious illness to the patient or it is evolving to be less virulent.

Currently, Tonga has only allowed direct arrivals from low-risk countries such as Fiji, New Zealand and the COVID-19-free Pacific islands.

Meanwhile, the South Pacific island nation of Samoa has tightened its border restrictions to travellers from Britain and South Africa where new COVID-19 strain has been reported.

Samoa's Health Ministry has banned travellers from Britain and South Africa from entering it under a new amended travel advisory for repatriation flights. The new measure also applies to passengers who transit via the two countries.