For more than two years, the isolation of the Pacific archipelago nation of Tonga helped keep Covid-19 at bay, according to AP.

But last month's volcanic eruption and tsunami brought outside deliveries of desperately needed fresh water and medicine and the virus. Now the country is in an open-ended lockdown, which residents hope will help contain the small outbreak and will not last too long.

The nation of 105,000 had reported only one case of Covid-19 since the beginning of the pandemic — a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints missionary returning to the island from Africa via New Zealand who tested positive in October — and authorities debated whether to let international aid in.