SUVA, Feb 4 (NNN-PIN) – The resilience and strength of the Tongan people will help the South Pacific island nation, get through impact of the recent volcanic eruption and tsunami, as well as, the current COVID-19 challenges, Tonga’s Prime Minister, Siaosi Sovaleni, said yesterday.
“Tongans are resilient people. We have dealt with disasters before and our strength is the fact that we stand together, and then, I believe that will get us through these challenges. We will stand together and we will work together and we will get through this together,” the prime minister was quoted as saying by RNZ Pacific, a division of Radio New Zealand (RNZ).
“It’s hard, I mean … deal with a volcano and the tsunami and now the outbreak of COVID-19,” he said.
Sovaleni said, the total number of positive COVID-19 cases in Tonga stands currently at four. Due to the confirmed infections, Tonga has been in a lockdown since Wednesday evening, with all shops closed and people ordered to stay home.
The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano, about 65 km north of the Tongan capital, Nuku’alofa, erupted on Jan 14 and 15, causing at least three deaths and multiple injuries, as well as, heavy damages in the country.
The international community has provided relief supplies to the island country with a population of more than 100,000.– NNN-PIN
