BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO
THE country had run more than 2,000 covid-19 tests for December alone and likely a similar number of tests will be done for January and February this year.
This was highlighted by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare yesterday when delivering his first national address for the new year 2021.
Sogavare said so far more than 6,000 tests have been done since ‘we have the capacity to do testing in country to date’.
“They have done more than 6,000 tests to date. More than 2,000 tests were done in December alone. In all likelihood they will be doing similar numbers in January and February 2021.
“Our Molecular laboratory staff had been performing an incredible amount of work conducting thousands of COVID-19 tests since the second phase of mass repatriation commenced in December 2020.
“We have now established COVID-19 testing capabilities in Gizo and the Public Health Laboratory in Honiara. We expect the Kilu’ufi Hospital COVID-19 testing capability to be operational very soon.
“I also commend our laboratory staff for their continued dedication in our fight to protect our country from Covid-19.
“I also thank our partners that have supplied us with the equipment and test kits and reagents to enable our staff to do the tests that allow us to protect our country,” he said.
On the same regard he commends the governments of Australia, People’s Republic of China, New Zealand, United States of America, and institutions such as the World Health Organisation and the Global Fund Against Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and Malaria that supplied the GeneXpert machines that are being used to test for Covid-19 in Gizo, Kilu’ufi and the Public Health Laboratory.
