SUVA, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Tonga on Monday extended the state of emergency from December 21, 2020 to January 18, 2021 and made some changes to the national COVID-19 restrictions.
According to Matangi, Tonga's leading news website, Tongan Prime Minister's Office also announced on Monday that the night-time curfew in the island nation has also been lifted for the incoming Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
Apart from the above-mentioned changes, the nationwide curfew will be from 8:00 p.m. local time on December 21 to 8:00 p.m. on January 18, 2021.
Other key restrictions include that all activities and gatherings in the island nation will not exceed a total of 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors, except for religious services and education institutions; complying with social distancing (keeping 1.5 m from another person at all times), and observing personal hand hygiene and following all Public Health Advisories issued by the Ministry of Health in relation to COVID-19.
Meanwhile, in another Pacific island nation of Samoa, the government has made some significant changes to the state of emergency for COVID-19.
The new measures come into effect from Monday and apply until January 4, 2021 when the Samoan cabinet will meet to review the measures.
The changes include that supermarkets can be open on Sundays from 3:00 p.m. local time until 10:00 p.m. local time, and restaurants are also allowed to open from 6:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. Monday to Saturday and on Sundays they may open from 12:00 noon local time until 10:00 p.m. local time for dining or take out services.
Nightclubs have been given an extra hour with the new closing time of 11:00 p.m. local time and opening at 6:00 a.m. local time Monday to Saturday.
Public gatherings in the nation have also been given some leeway with limitations on numbers all being lifted for all gatherings but with public safety still of utmost importance. Enditem
