Tonga streets empty on day one of lockdown

The streets of tsunami-hit Tonga were empty and silent on the first full day of a lockdown imposed in the previously coronavirus-free nation.

Local journalist Marian Kupu described the capital Nuku'alofa as a "ghost town".

"Normally this road would be queueing with vehicles and people, but as you can see all shops are closed, everything is closed - taxi stands, shops, supermarkets, it's closed," she said.

There had been fears an influx of international ships and planes delivering badly needed water, shelter and food after last month's devastating volcanic eruption had increased the risk of a pandemic outbreak in the isolated Pacific nation.

Tonga had previously recorded only one COVID case, before two wharf workers were diagnosed with COVID-19.

However, the infected waterfront workers were not employed on docks being used by foreign navies to deliver aid, said Curtis Tu'ihalangingie, Tonga's deputy head of mission in Australia.

The Australian Defence Force's chief of joint operations, Greg Bilton, said samples from the wharf workers would be sent to Australia for testing to verify the strain's origin.

A further three cases were identified in a family, Tongan radio station BroadcomFM reported on Wednesday.

Tongans had queued outside banks and petrol stations on Wednesday ahead of the lockdown which started at 6pm local time.

"Tonga has been hit with two disasters," said Fe'iloakitau Tevi, chief of staff at Tonga's foreign affairs ministry.

"One is of course the eruption and the second one is the discovery of the COVID-19 cases.

"There is a lockdown and I think it's a good thing. We need to be tracking and doing tracing of those who were in contact with the first two COVID cases."