Tonga

A French Polynesian ship is on its way to Tonga with 300 tonnes of supplies - two weeks after Tonga was hit by a volcanic eruption and tsunami. The Tahiti Nui is expected to travel for four days to reach Nukualofa, bringing water, storage tanks and other material as part of an international relief effort. The French Polynesian government contributed following Tonga's appeal for assistance, relayed via the Pacific Islands Forum.

The second day of a drive to receive emergency supplies to be sent to Tonga starts in Auckland at 9am this morning. Hundreds queued for hours at Mount Smart Stadium in Penrose yesterday to deliver emergency goods that will be sent to their families in Tonga. Almost six shipping containers were filled yesterday and organisers say at one point queues of more than 400 hundred cars stretched three kilometres.

Three shipping containers are being set up at Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium to be filled with donations for Tonga today. The Aotearoa Tonga Relief Committee is organising the relief effort and plans to collect and ship food and emergency supplies donated mainly by people with family of those living in Tonga. People can donate food and emergency supplies at Mt Smart stadium from 9am to 8pm on Friday and Saturday.

Power is being restored in Tonga's capital, and the country is sending naval boats to outlying islands to assess the damage from the huge Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption and tsunami. A New Zealand Defence Force plane has left for Tonga to assess the damage from Saturday's volcanic eruption and tsunami.

Tonga's first lockdown due to a case of Covid-19 has begun, with stores forbidden to open and schools closed. Tonga's main island Tongatapu began a seven day lockdown after the kingdom recorded the arrival of its first case of Covid-19 on a flight from Christchurch last week.

In Tonga, the King has again criticised Parliament, this time over what he sees as a lack of effort in combatting the drug threat, and a lack of accountability and communication on what the government's doing.

An interim management body could be established as to run the affairs of Tongan Rugby League in the lead-up to the World Cup later this year. It comes after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed an appeal by the former governing body, Tonga National Rugby League, over its expulsion from the International Rugby League.

Tonga's Princess Pilolevu Tuita was the first person to receive her first dose of the Covid-19 AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, followed by frontline workers on Tongatapu. The Princess volunteered to take part along with her husband Lord Tuita and Prime Minister Dr Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa. Acting CEO for Health Dr Reynold 'Ofanoa also received his first shot.

Tonga's Covid-19 vaccination programme starts this Thursday on the main island, Tongatapu. The Minister of Health Dr 'Amelia Tu'ipulotu told Matangi Tonga that frontline workers will be the first to receive their shots at Falemasiva Hall. The Ministry of Health has held a national campaign on radio and television to inform the public about the vaccine and its roll-out since the first 24,000 doses of the Covid-19 AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccines arrived on March 31.

The Tonga Rugby Union is seeking a Chief Executive Officer, in a bid to kick-start a new future of stability for 2021 and beyond. The full-time role comes after the TRU signed a tripartite agreement with World Rugby and the Tonga government in September, after the global governing body had threatened to pull all financial support. The new joint management committee are taking charge until long-standing governance issues are resolved.