1 covid-19 case

BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO

SOLOMON Islands has again lost its covid-free status, registering one case last week.

This brings the total number of cases we have had to 19.

This was confirmed by Prime Minister Manasseh in his special national address on the covid-19 situation in the country and the status of the covid-19 vaccination on Sunday.

Sogavare said during the launch of the covid-19 vaccination roll-out programme in the country last Wednesday he stated that the official number of the covid-19 cases remained at 18.

“I am with very much regret to inform the nation that we have one new case of covid-19 in our quarantine station bringing our total registered covid-19 cases now to 19,” he said.

Sogavare said this person is a foreign national who arrived from Papua New Guinea on the high-risk flight from Brisbane on Friday afternoon. The person transited through Brisbane on the way to Honiara.

He said prior to departing from PNG this person had three negative tests.

“Yet, this positive case shows that even when a traveler fulfills our pre-departure testing protocols, they can still test positive when they enter our country.

“This is the reason we have a standing policy to test every person that come from a high-risk country such as Papua New Guinea on arrival,” said Sogavare.

He said in addition to this positive case they are also watching another passenger that travelled together with this person as part of a group of five people travelling very closely.

“We would update you on any further development on this person or any person from this travel group,” said Sogavare.

He said both person the positive person and the suspicious case were transferred to the National Referral Hospital Isolation Unit on the night of arrival.

“There is no risk to the community for this new positive case,” said Sogavare.

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