The Pacific Islands Forum has launched a “Blue Pacific Appeal” for Tonga.
Secretary-General Henry Puna said the initiative aims “to help mobilise financial support” to aid the Kingdom’s recovery from the events of January 15.
Pacific Islands Forum, Secretary-General Henry Puna Photo: RNZ / Johnny Blades
“Our hearts go out to those in Tonga and the people of Tonga around the world who have been trying to find out more news of their loved ones and communities,” he said.
“I send condolences to those grieving, the displaced communities, and the many who are rebuilding their lives and homes.”
Puna said Forum nations have responded swiftly to assist Tonga “and provide confirmation of being ready to step in to assist, where required, when the time comes.”
A view over an area of Tonga that shows the heavy ash fall from the recent volcanic eruption within the Tongan Islands. Photo: Supplied / NZ Defence Force
He said communications challenges in co-ordination of the response efforts by partners and organisations remain significant.
But the Forum continues to engage with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) to support the emergency response work.
There have been 97 new community cases reported today, with 11 new Omicron cases identified in the community.
Photo: 123rf.com
In a statement, the Ministry of Health said 116 community cases of Covid-19 have either been confirmed as the Omicron variant or have been linked to a previously reported Omicron case.
It said there had now been 39 cases connected to the Soundsplash music festival in Hamilton last weekend – including two new cases in Northland, one in Hawke’s Bay and three in Tairāwhiti today – and this number is expected to grow as further test results are received.
“Given the increase in cases associated with Soundsplash, the Ministry of Health advises all attendees to get a test, if they have not already done so. If you attended the festival, please let the testing centre know that you were at the festival.”
It said two of the four community cases in Canterbury reported earlier in the week have now been confirmed to be Omicron, and there are active cases being treated as Omicron in Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, MidCentral, Canterbury, Tairāwhiti and Nelson-Tasman.
The 97 new community cases reported today are in Northland (1), Auckland (61), Waikato (14), Tairawhiti (3), Bay of Plenty (8), Rotorua (7) and Hawke’s Bay (3).
Three of the eight new cases are onboard the Singapore-flagged Maersk Bogor container ship, which is currently under quarantine at the Port of Tauranga.
The Ministry said more than two dozen of the crew on board the ship – which arrived in port on Friday morning have experienced Covid-like illness. Testing returned three positive results so far.
No one has been allowed off the ship and it is due to leave port tomorrow.
There are now seven people in hospital with Covid-19, although none are in intensive care.
The Health Ministry said there were also 58 new cases at the border. The new cases came from UAE, UK, USA, Germany, Singapore, India, Albania, Australia, Egypt, Malaysia, Canada, Czech Republic, Qatar and Mexico.
“We could see numbers continue to shoot up into the several hundreds over the next week or so.”
There were 1251 first doses; 2212 second doses; 12,860 paediatric doses and 46,271 booster doses given yesterday.
There has been a total of 1,257,758 booster doses given in New Zealand.
The Ministry said Nelson Marlborough was only five first doses short of partially vaccinating 90 percent of Māori and it will be the eighth DHB area to achieve this milestone.
By Finau Fonua of RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission.
Poor weather conditions are preventing a team of engineers from repairing a damaged microwave link on the uninhabited island of Kao in Tonga.
Digicel Tonga’s technical team working on satellite link equipment to restore internet connection Photo: Digicel Tonga
The microwave link would restore telecommunications in the Vava’u and Ha’apai group of islands, which have been cut-off from the outside world since the volcanic eruption two weeks ago.
Digicel’s chief executive in Tonga, Anthony Seuseu, said he’s now organising for a satellite terminal to be sent to Vava’u.
“You know because the weather forecast is bad for the next week, and we also have been trying for the last few days to get on to Kao, I can’t wait any longer, I need to get some form sort of communication to Vava’u.
So what i’ve decided to do is to send a satellite terminal there so at least for our ICT customers, we can switch that on for them,” he said.
He said a team of engineers had been attempting to land by helicopter on Kao.
“For the last three days the team have tried to get to that island via helicopter for the helicopter to drop in on the top of, top of Kao island to fix the equipment which is on the top of Kao island but it was too dangerous to land the helicopter on the summit.
Meanwhile, a specialist ship is on its way to restore the sole undersea cable linking Tonga to the rest of the world.
It’s expected to arrive on Sunday but technicians may need to a few weeks to repair it.
Social media users have been outraged after bizarre footage emerged showing a woman violently baptising an elderly woman by pouring what appeared to be boiling water on to her head.
The elderly could be seen closing her eyes tightly while reacting painfully telling the woman “it’s burning”.
The woman just smiled and replied in Tongan saying “Thanks be to God”.
The woman claimed in the video that the elderly woman was her mother.
Kaniva News could not independently verify the authenticity of the video and where the incident took place.
In the clip the woman, who was standing behind the elderly’s chair, can be heard asking her few questions including whether she believed in Jesus Christ the son of God to which the elderly replied yes.
“Meleane Kaufusi Kaho do you believe that Christ died to clean us of our sin, and he has risen?”
The elderly replied “yes” in Tongan.
The woman then said:
“Meleane Kaufusi Kaho I am baptising you in the name of the father”, while pouring the jug on to the elderly’s head.
The elderly can be seen immediately reacting with screwed up eyes saying in Tongan “’oku vela” which is translated into English as “It’s burning”.
But the woman, who seemed totally unfazed, responded and said: “Burning?” Then she continued the process saying “the son and the holy spirit amen”.
She then smiled at the camera and told her family who were watching the video she wanted to thank them for joining their mother’s baptism.
Many online commentators have criticised the daughter’s action.
On Facebook a user posted: “Omg that’s the most violent baptism I’ve ever seen?!”
“Man the elderly was saying it’s burning but she continues pouring it”.
“Someone pour hot water on this lady smh poor old lady”, one wrote.
There are 105 new community cases of Covid-19 today, with the total number of Omicron cases reported in the community also now at 105.
In a statement, the Ministry of Health said 105 community cases of Covid-19 have either been confirmed as the Omicron variant or have been linked to a previously reported Omicron case – up 15 since yesterday.
It said there were active cases being treated as Omicron in Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, the MidCentral DHB, and Nelson-Tasman.
“The number of cases and contacts are expected to grow given the highly transmissible nature of Omicron and as we learn more from case interviews.
“We’re asking everyone in New Zealand to act like Omicron is circulating in their community.”
There are four people in hospital with the coronavirus, with one in intensive care.
Today’s new community cases were in Auckland (76), Waikato (5), Tairawhiti (1), Bay of Plenty (9), Lakes (7), Hawke’s Bay (1), MidCentral (1), Nelson Marlborough (2) and Canterbury (3).
The nine new Covid-19 cases reported in the Bay of Plenty today include three cases announced yesterday, all linked to an early childhood centre in Tauranga. Five of today’s cases are also linked to this childhood centre. All eight are being treated as Omicron.
The ministry also said there was an exposure at a polo event held at the Trustpower Baypark stadium between 1pm and 6.15pm on 22 January, which was attended by a “large number of people”, including cases that are suspected to be Omicron.
There were also 45 new cases identified at the border, with cases coming from Fiji, Iran, USA, Italy, UAE, UK, Qatar, Singapore, Israel, Brazil, South Africa, Australia, India, Spain and Pakistan.
There have now been 15,615 cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand since the pandemic began.
The Ministry of Health yesterday confirmed there were five cases of Covid-19 from the Soundsplash festival and one of them was confirmed as having Omicron.
Health experts are warning that Soundsplash could become a Covid super-spreader event which seeds the virus around the country.
There were 13,112 paediatric doses given yesterday. The Ministry said 29 percent of 5 to 11 year olds have now received their first dose.
There were also 1315 first doses; 2314 second doses and 46,827 booster doses given yesterday.
The ministry said it was vital that anyone in New Zealand with Covid-19 symptoms – no matter how mild – to get tested, even if they are vaccinated and to stay at home until they return a negative test result.
“We need to focus testing on those who are symptomatic and contacts of cases to ensure our testing centres don’t quickly become overwhelmed and so we can continue to support the public health response.”
A shocking video of a young Tongan woman’s bruised and bloodied face has gone viral after its Tik Tok account created to expose the damage was removed by the platform’s authority.
Nau Hoeft
Nau Hoeft, 22, alleged she was subject to a four-year abuse from her boy friend and decided to go public about her alleged experience with domestic violence last week.
Tik Tok has removed the video from its platform saying “the blood and bruises were against platform policies”.
However, a copy of the video was shared on Facebook on Tuesday.
The video has been viewed more than 8,000 times on Facebook with users expressing their disgust over the attacks. It racked up more than 300 reactions as of last night.
Ms Hoeft’s supporters have asked people on Facebook to be alert to the signs of domestic violence.
Commenters have hailed Hoeft for her bravery and determination to move on with her life.
One user labelled her abuser as a ‘low-life’, another calls him ‘scum’, all outraged over what they saw in the horrifying photos and video of Hoeft being slapped and showing her bloodied and bruised face.
Some Facebook users were of a view that things happened for a reason while others believed there was no justification for abusing someone like what Ms Hoeft had experienced.
Ms Hoeft met her “ex boyfriend four years ago, when she was just 18, while on a trip from her home in Christchurch, New Zealand, to a small island in the South Pacific”, the Daily Mail Australia reported.
It said the young woman didn’t want to leave her partner because she thought he would change.
After arriving at her parents’ home last week she was taken to the hospital immediately because she couldn’t see properly out of her left eye, before she filed a police report.
It is understood the accused was arrested and charged that night, before he was released on bail given a court date.
Australia’s Navy plans to go ahead with delivering relief to Tonga after 23 people on board its ship HMAS Adelaidetested positive for Covid-19.
Aotearoa Tonga Relief Committee co-chair and Labour MP Jenny Salesa. Photo: RNZ Pacific: Sela Jane Hopgood
But it says it is confident it can deliver the much-needed aid to local authorities in Tonga without transmitting the virus.
In Auckland, 25 containers of supplies will be shipped out today – relief for families devastated by the volcano and tsunami that hit the Kingdom on 15 January.
Aotearoa Tonga Relief Committee co-chair and Labour MP Jenny Salesa told Morning Report the issue of whether the Adelaide should deliver supplies was an issue for Tonga’s government.
“What I can say is when there was the first case of a Covid-19 positive person – that was actually someone from New Zealand – but went into Tonga a few months ago now, that was actually big news in Tonga at the time.
“Fortunately, they were able to keep that case at MIQ. It didn’t go out into the community, but Tonga, as you know, is one of these countries in the Pacific, that is still Covid free and they have been really strict with their border to ensure that they keep that status.
“I am confident that the government of Tonga will be able to deal with it appropriately.”
In Auckland, last night a team of volunteers had loaded 22 containers with 3238 44-gallon drums – most filled with groceries – destined for Tonga.
“Twenty-one of the containers that are filled already are from families in New Zealand to families in Tonga, and we have three more containers to load this morning. So overall there will be 25 containers that will be sent to Tonga.
“Four of these, though, will be sent to the government of Tonga to NEMO – the National Emergency Management Office – and one of those containers to the government is filled with cereal because the prime minister of Tonga had come through to us asking that we help provide at least one meal for the children of Tonga, which is breakfast.”
Overall, the 25 containers were estimated to be worth about $1.6 million dollars of aid.
“We’re really grateful to all of our Tongan families who united through our call and actually came together to fill these containers with food, but I’m also grateful to every New Zealand family, companies, NGOs, temples and churches who have come through to contribute.”
Tonga is already rebuilding amid the devastation of a double whammy of natural disasters, according to the Red Cross.
Digicel Tonga’s technical team working on satellite link equipment to restore internet connection Photo: Digicel Tonga
Tonga Red Cross staff and volunteers have been assisting people from the moment the tsunami alert was triggered, and are ramping up the delivery of drinking water, temporary shelters and other critical relief supplies across the country.
Tonga Red Cross secretary general Sione Taumoefolau said its teams were using boat and trucks to take vital items to communities in need of the basic necessities.
Shelter was a top priority for families whose homes had been wiped out, he said.
Meanwhile, the humanitarian response into Tonga has been described as well a handled process, almost two weeks on from the eruption and tsunami.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has been helping to meet immediate needs, with a response coordinaton based in Fiji.
WHO representative to the South Pacific Mark Jacobs said all of the supplies were being sent in contactless fashion.
“The response seems to be going well and it seems to be Tongan government lead. It’s been very active and well co-ordinated. Things like water supplies, food and communication supplies all sorts of things like that.. the supplies to be handed over in a way that doesn’t expose people to Covid,” he said.
Jacobs said there was not currently a need to send additional people to Tonga.
UK, China and Japan all helping out
A British naval ship, the HMS Spey, has arrived in Tonga where her crew have unloaded disaster relief.
The vessel delivered 30,000 litres of bottled water, medical supplies for over 300 first aid kits, PPE, and basic sanitation and baby products.
The aid is being collected at a logistics hub as part of international aid efforts.
The supplies are then coordinated and will be moved to the most affected islands.
Digicel Tonga’s technical team working on satellite link equipment to restore internet connection Photo: Digicel Tonga
The UK government said HMS Spey would continue to work closely with the New Zealand and Australian navies to coordinate relief efforts with the Tongan authorities and the British High Commission.
HMS Spey has returned to sea but remains in the waters of Tonga, ready to help where needed.
China has announced additional support for Tonga.
The Chinese Embassy in New Zealand said the assistance included relief supplies of drinking water, food, generators, water pumps and chainsaws, which were being shipped to Tonga today.
A spokesperson also said it would provide money for Tonga.
Pacific Islands Forum secretary general Henry Puna said member nations were standing by to support Tonga in whatever way they can.
Japan’s first batch of emergency relief assistance has been received by the Kingdom.
Japan has provided $US1 million to Tonga through international agencies for the recent disaster of the volcano eruption.
Meanwhile, a plane carrying water and supplies landed last week and vessels carrying water tanks arrive in two weeks time.
Embassy of Japan ambassador in New Zealand Ito Koichi said it was important Tonga was supported, and Japan was ready to provide further help.
“When the Japanese aeroplane arrived at the airport (the) Tongan Prime Minister was so glad. He sent a message to the Japanese people – a friend in need is a friend indeed.”
Puna announced a Blue Pacific fundraising Campaign for Tonga which was open to all forum member countries, various agencies and development partners and will run until 25 February.
Puna said he understood Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni, his government and the people of Tonga were still coming to grips with the extent of the disaster, but he wanted to reassure them the forum was ready to help.
“We are family, we’re here ready and eager to help and please anything we can do let us know we are more than prepared to step in and help.”
Salt Lake police have not released any other information about the case, only saying that “through the preliminary investigation, it appears this is an isolated incident.”
No arrests have been made and no suspect information has been released.
“This literally breaks my heart to hear of your passing Fehi (Another name of Anetupou)”, a writer wrote on Anetupou’s Facebook account.
“You were a light that shined so bright with your contagious laugh that was heard, your beautiful smile that was seen and your fun, genuine, loving, energetic presence that was felt everytime I saw you and never forgot, no matter how much time had passed.
“I love love love you sooooo much! my dear sweet sister Fehi.
“This really hurts.
“May your sweet children, family and close friends find some comfort and peace. Knowing they will see you again and that you will be always watching over them.
Until we meet again sister.”
Another commenter wrote: “Rest in loving peace my beautiful aunty Fehi (Another name of Anetupou). Unbelievable and shocking that you have left us too early”.
“May Your soul rest peacefully in God’s hands🙏❤ pray they find your killer”, one wrote.
“RIL what a tragic loss for her loved ones!! Much condolence”, another wrote.
“RIP Fehi, I wish it was just a dream. Love your face”.
“Oh my gosh! I hope I am correct in remembering her as daughter of Tali and Lilio Tuitavake. (rip) Fehi much love to your face”.
“RIL what a tragic loss for her loved ones!! Much condolences”.
The elderly could be seen closing her eyes tightly while reacting painfully telling the woman “it’s burning”.
