Yes, and the people of Tonga are sorts caught in a dilemma as they consider how much help that they may need from the outside to help them recover and rebuild, considering that the pandemic has, for all intents and purposes, skipped their island nation. Since the start of the pandemic, there has been only a SINGLE case of COVID detected in Tonga, and that was someone who had obviously come from somewhere else, and that person was immediately isolated until they were no longer considered to be a danger and no cases have been detected since that one incident, and they would like to think that they'll be able to keep it that way.

John R. Baker, P.E. (ret)
Irvine, CA
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The secret of life is not finding someone to live with
It's finding someone you can't live without

Ericson Germany have sent the reaction team out there with sat coms to restore internet and telephones.


My ex work colleague Lars flew out there two days ago with the hardware. Only just seen a post from him so they must have something uplinked now.

NZDF will likely provide some support.

We actually heard the explosion in parts of New Zealand

John, before you go and say Tonga has no COVID exposure the CDC says that the prevalence is unknown which means it's not being reported.

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/covid-unknown...

The article I read referenced that single, isolated case.

John R. Baker, P.E. (ret)
Irvine, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

The secret of life is not finding someone to live with
It's finding someone you can't live without

Limited satellite communications have been established, but the single undersea cable between Tonga and Fiji has been severed. Probably weeks until it is repaired.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/18/tong...

Australia, New Zealand, and others are mobilizing, but lack of communications is making it overly difficult.

Some supplies are getting in by air, after the Tongan people on the ground swept a lot of ash off the runway.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-60063732

Best efforts are in place to prevent transmission of Covid to the population, which is about 60% double dose vaccinated. Tonga has a population of a bit over 100,000. There are about 10,000 Tongan born people in Australia and 20,000 in New Zealand, so it is appropriate that Australia and New Zealand lead the disaster relief and recovery efforts. New Zealand has over 80,000 people of Tongan ethnicity. So between the two countries, there are as many Tongan expats as people who live in Tonga. Tongans are a very family oriented, hard working, religious people.

Where I read that there had been a single reported COVID case in Tonga:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/tonga-volcano-relie...

John R. Baker, P.E. (ret)
Irvine, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

The secret of life is not finding someone to live with
It's finding someone you can't live without

I was being honest in identifying the precise article in which I had first read the Tonga was concerned about the risk of being exposed to COVID as a result of aid workers coming in from outside their country.

John R. Baker, P.E. (ret)
Irvine, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

The secret of life is not finding someone to live with
It's finding someone you can't live without

"Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts."

Of course, IM's cite is from XKCD: Wikipedian Protester

TTFN (ta ta for now)
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It would be good if we could stop trivializing this humanitarian disaster. Take the quibbling back to the Pub.

I agree and accept blame for this. I apologize.

Accepted. Now if all those extraneous posts can be removed by the posters, we can get on with talking about the volcano and tsunami.

Seems its caused a oil spill in South America.

A follow-up:

Tonga turns back aid flight from Australia after positive Covid case discovered

Morrison government promised Tongans Covid-safe humanitarian relief after volcanic eruption and tsunam

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/21/tong...

John R. Baker, P.E. (ret)
Irvine, CA
Siemens PLM:
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The secret of life is not finding someone to live with
It's finding someone you can't live without

Quote (hokie66)

Now if all those extraneous posts can be removed by the posters, we can get on with talking about the volcano and tsunami.

Yes some of these posts are extraneous, but I'm unsure how talking more about a problem on the other side of the world will be of any help to the victims. And I really don't know how my keeping a stern face will help matters.

"Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts."

I believe I saw a headline that all are accounted and there are no fatalities from this disaster. The Tongan (and all Polynesian) people are quite resilient. I am betting they will work together to repair damaged structures and clean up after this event. They will need some supplies, of course, but those can be delivered with minimum contact from the outside world.

I've known many with island heritage. They are amazing people.

It could have been a 'way lot' worse.

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik

There have been at least three fatalities.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-19/tonga-death...

Sorry... I didn't mean to diminish the deaths, Hokie. There could have been hundreds.

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik

I stand corrected. Here's hoping those families can heal and move forward.

Aid is on the way, but it will take time. Hopefully, there will be no further eruptions. And it is still cyclone season, so hope they will stay away.

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7589333/nav...

There is some aid already there
https://www.nzdf.mil.nz/news/update-on-nzdf-suppor...

NZDF Tonga press releases
https://www.nzdf.mil.nz/nzdf/significant-projects-...

Thanks hokie... I didn't realise that some ships have 'doorways' in the side. Other than 'landing craft' I didn't know...

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik

As verymadmac's link shows, the big New Zealand supply ship Aotearoa is at Tongatapu unloading needed supplies. C130's from New Zealand and C17's from Australia are delivering supplies. I suppose the Tongans have to do the unloading due to Covid restrictions, which is no easy task. The ship in my link above, the HMAS Adelaide, is enroute Brisbane to Tonga. Port facilities could be an issue, available for large ships only in the capital city Nuku'alofa.

An interesting piece on what it took to clear the runway

https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/south-pacific/300504...

The shock wave created a 10cm wave in the Caribbean Sea.
Tonga shock wave created tsunamis in two different oceans Unusual wave surges in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans were propelled by the air, researchers say. 25 Jan 2022