A Covid outbreak has hit a crucial Australian relief ship which was bound for tsunami-stricken Tonga.
Some 23 cases of Covid were recorded among the crew of the HMAS Adelaide, which left Australia on Friday.
It
comes as Tonga is desperately trying to prevent Covid from reaching its
shores as more humanitarian aid begins arriving in the Pacific nation.
Australia defence minister Peter Dutton has vowed not to put the Tongan population "at risk".
The
Australian Department of Defence said the HMAS Adelaide would continue
making its way to Tonga as planned, and is due to arrive on Wednesday.
It said in a statement that it would ensure its supplies were delivered in a "Covid-safe manner".
Tonga currently has only had one confirmed Covid case, which was recorded in October 2021.
Authorities have stressed the need for aid to be delivered in a contactless way to avoid bringing in the virus.
Australia had earlier despatched military transport planes carrying
relief supplies, however the HMAS Adelaide vessel is carrying a larger
shipment of much-needed aid, including engineering equipment, water and
shelter.
More
than 600 crew are onboard the HMAS Adelaide, which has on board medical
facilities including a 40-bed hospital and a critical care ward
onboard, said the Department of Defence.
This
is the second aid shipment from Australia that has been hit with Covid -
a C-17 plane had to turn around mid-flight last week after a crew
member was diagnosed with the virus.
Tonga
is reeling from the aftermath of a devastating underwater volcanic
eruption that hit the South Pacific island nation several weeks ago.
The eruption triggered a tsunami that Nasa estimated was hundreds of times more powerful that the WWII atomic bombs, wreaking widespread devastation and leaving three dead.
Officials
say four-fifths of the population have been affected by the tsunami and
volcanic ashfall, which continues to pose a public health risk to
Tonga's 105,000- strong population.
The
disasters, and ensuing rescue efforts, have threatened Tonga's ability
to remain Covid-free, with just one case of infection reported last
October.
Authorities
are determined to keep it that away, as the remoteness of some of its
island communities, many with limited healthcare resources, makes them
particularly vulnerable to an outbreak.
