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Zero-Covid island nation fears aid could bring in virus
As humanitarian aid starts arriving in Tonga following a volcanic eruption and tsunami, the international effort is being complicated by the need to protect the country from coronavirus.
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The South Pacific island nation is effectively Covid-free, with just one case of infection reported last October, and the government is determined to keep it that way.
The authorities have stressed the need for aid to be delivered in a contactless way to avoid bringing in the virus.
What is contactless aid?
"In Tonga, emergency provisions are being sent in but personnel are not and strict Covid protocols are followed on delivery," Aaron Davy, of the Council for International Development, in New Zealand, says.
"Even when working on the broken communication cable out at sea, the work is being done without personal contact with local people."
Aid agencies also provide assistance remotely - such as co-ordination expertise - but local authorities and community groups run the response on the ground.
"We have staff and partners in country and we can plan with them and support them without entering Tonga," Unicef's resident coordinator for the Pacific Islands, Jonathan Veitch, says.
"We helped vaccinate the entire country, so [contactless delivery] is feasible.
Has it been done before?
Yes, there have been a number of non-contact operations in the region during the pandemic.
New Zealand delivered vaccines to Pacific Island nations by naval ship, then on helicopters or inflatable boats, before handing them over to teams on land at a distance.
Strict safety protocols - such as the wearing of protective clothing - avoided any possible transmission.
Crew members also received special training on how to handle the vaccine boxes when transferring them.
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發表於 2022-1-22 12:03:23
