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Navy ships from Britain and Australia have conducted a ‘contactless’ delivery of humanitarian and medical supplies to Tonga, which has been devastated by an eruption, to avoid spreading COVID-19 in a nation that has never had an outbreak.
Nearly two dozen sailors aboard the Australian ship HMAS Adelaide were reported infected by the virus on Jan 25, raising fears of a potential outbreak to the small Pacific archipelago.
Tonga is one of the few countries in the world completely free of the virus, having only reported a single case since the pandemic began.
Around 61 per cent of Tongans are vaccinated, according to Our World in Data.
On Jan. 15, Tonga experienced a massive undersea volcanic eruption and a tsunami that destroyed homes and villages. The tsunami killed three people.
The British naval ship, HMS Spey, arrived with 30,000 litres of bottled water, medical supplies for more than 200 first aid kids, and basic sanitation products.
None of its sailors disembarked the ship, and instead move the supplies ashore by crane, according to Britain.
The Australian government said that its ship completed the 3300-kilometre voyage from Brisbane and would conduct ‘contactless’ delivery with the local population to avoid infections.
The ship also brings a desalination plant to support the restoration of the drinking water supply. It is also carrying helicopters and engineering equipment.
Australia said that its disaster support will also include restoration of power and communications.
Meanwhile, the US has announced a $US2.5 million ($A3.5 million) in humanitarian assistance to Tonga through the US Agency for International Development. The aid from the US is in addition to an initial pledge of $US100,00 ($A140,000).
Under pandemic measures, Tonga typically requires visitors to quarantine for three weeks on arrival and that complicates the international disaster response. All international aid is to be delivered without local contact.
Tongan authorities have also expressed some concern in accepting international aid as it could usher in a bigger disaster than the eruption.
The ship is the second aid mission from Australia in which at least one crew member tested positive. A C-17 Globemaster military transport plane was earlier turned around mid-flight after a person aboard was diagnosed with the virus.
with news from AAP
Zoe is a content creator, specialising in speech and corporate communications. She is currently the content producer of Supply Chain Channel— a learning ecosystem dedicated to connecting and empowering the Australian supply chain community.
