(CNN) The South Pacific island nation of Tonga reported its first case of Covid-19 on Friday, spurring thousands of people to get vaccinated amid warnings of a national lockdown. Tonga was one of only a few countries that had not reported a single Covid case since the start of the pandemic. But on Friday, Tonga's Prime Minister Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa confirmed its first positive case from a passenger who had traveled from New ZealandThe infected traveler arrived in Tonga on Wednesday having flown from Christchurch, according to New Zealand's Health Ministry. The passenger was fully vaccinated, had tested negative in New Zealand prior to the flight's departure, and was discovered among travelers staying at a hotel used for managed isolation and quarantine for new arrivals into the country. Tu'i'onetoa said all airport staff who were in contact with any of the passengers on the flight have been quarantined and he warned Tongans to prepare for a potential national lockdown following the case, according to news website Matangi Tonga.

Source: CNN October 31, 2021 14:57 UTC