Vaccinations now made compulsory in Tonga.
Vaccination - including against Covid-19 - has been made compulsory in Tonga.
The announcement has come in the final hours of Tonga's seven day lockdown following it's first covid scare.
The Vaccination Act Amendment 2021 has been signed by King Tupou the Sixth making it compulsory by law to get vaccinated.
(L to R) Tonga's Queen Nanasipau'u and her husband King Tupou VI. Photo: RNZ
Tonga's Ministry of Health said it would only exercise this new power if there's the risk of an infectious disease spreading out of control.
Tongatapu has just finished a seven day lockdown after a passenger arriving from Christchurch tested positive becoming the Kingdom's first covid case.
More than 300 passengers and frontline workers remain in 21 days managed isolation.
CNMI essential worker was the source of Covid-19 spread in the Commonwealth
An essential worker who didn't follow Covid-19 protocols has been tagged as the source of the local spread of coronavirus in the Northern Mariana islands.
Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation CEO Esther L. Muña said contact tracing has identified the non-compliant essential worker and they are back in quarantine.
The Covid-19 Task Force also reported that 20 new cases of Covid-19 were identified since Thursday last week.
The total number of active cases in the CNMI is now 59.
Schools in the Northern Marianas could reopen for students next week after a two week shutdown because of a Covid-19 outbreak.
Health authorities say there are 59 active cases after the outbreak was detected in the public school system.
While schools and some businesses closed where cases were recorded, there have been few new public restrictions.
RNZ Pacific correspondent in the CNMI, Mark Rabago, said the outbreak provided an impetus for people to get a booster shot, including himself.
He said 80 percent of the eligible population in the Northern Marianas has been fully vaccinated, and the rollout for 5 to 7 year olds has begun.
Students in Samoa enrolling in college must now be fully vaccinated
Students enrollling in college in Samoa in the new school year must be fully vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccination.
Director General, Leausa Dr Take Naseri said teachers are aware that students will not be allowed into the classroom if they are not fully vaccinated.
Leausa said that parents should heed the announcement by the Ministry to vaccinate their children.
As of last Friday, more than 17-thousand-six-hundred children from 12 to 17 years old have received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
To date more than 84-thousand of Samoa's eligible population have been fully vaccinated with astrazeneca, while more than 100,000 have received their first dosage.
Leausa said people travelling overseas for medical treatment or referral to American Samoa for a CT scan must be fully vaccinated.
