Fearing covid-19 on the island, Tonga agreed to New Zealand's "no-touch" relief efforts

Jimu news reporter Hu Li

An official in Tonga said on the 17th that due to the fear of the introduction of the new crown virus into this South Pacific island country, the Tonga government may not allow foreign rescuers to set foot on the island, and relief materials also need to be quarantined. However, according to New Zealand media stuff reported on January 19, the Tongan government has now agreed to the New Zealand Defence Force to carry out "contactless" disaster relief.

Images taken by a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 Orion reconnaissance aircraft in Tanga air on Monday, Jan. 17 to aid an initial impact assessment of Saturday's eruption. Source: New Zealand Defence Force

It is reported that during most of the global epidemic of the new crown pneumonia virus, the Pacific island country has strictly maintained a state of no new crown virus.

On January 15, local time, the submarine volcano of Hong Aha Apay Island in Tonga erupted, causing waves of more than one meter to hit the coast. The sound of the eruption spread throughout the South Pacific and as far away as the United States, killing at least three people, two locals and one British national. Since then, the New Zealand Government has offered to provide Tonga with drinking water and other emergency supplies by air and sea.

Cleaning up volcanic ash from the airport runway is a top priority for the Tonga government. The main Fuaamotu international airport was not damaged, but had to be manually cleaned of the ash.

A spokesman for New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta confirmed that the Tongan government has now agreed to the New Zealand Defence Force to carry out "no-contact" relief to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus from New Zealand to Tonga.

At the same time, according to Reuters news on January 19, Jonathan Veitch, the United Nations coordinator for Pacific affairs, said that the United Nations is preparing to carry out a long-distance rescue operation in Tonga to avoid the outbreak of the new crown epidemic in the Pacific island country affected by volcanic eruptions and tsunamis.

For more exciting information, please download the "Jimu News" client in the application market, please do not reprint it without authorization, welcome to provide news clues, and pay as soon as you adopt it. 24-hour reporting hotline [phone].