Tonga extends Covid State of Emergency

Tonga has extended a State of Emergency for another month, until 15 February, due to ongoing concerns around the global spread of Covid-19.

Nuku’alofa’s main street Photo: RNZ Pacific / Koro Vaka’uta

The State of Emergency was first declared 12 March and has been renewed regularly since.

The extension, announced on Monday evening, means that a curfew will remain from midnight to 5am.

Restrictions on gatherings to a maximum of 50 people indoors and 100 outdoors with the exception of church and schools, also remain.

Funerals also come under the restrictions.

The government also continued to promote social distancing measures.

Tonga has had no cases of Covid-19 and flights into the kingdom have been heavily restricted.