Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has declared a further four days lockdown for the Honiara City Emergency zone as covid infections soar in the capital.
The lockdown becomes effective from 6:00pm Tuesday 25 to 6:00pm Saturday 29 January 2022 for a period of 4 days to reduce people movement and to allow health operations to continue in Honiara communities.
Sogavare said the lockdown is critical in the fight to reduce and contain community transmission within the city.
The government through the Oversight Committee will try to provide some food support to communities during the lock down period to ensure people remain in their homes.
The lockdown period will be reviewed before the expiry of the 4 days to decide if it should be extended further. This will allow the Cabinet time to consider the implications of the current outbreak and further consider longer-term measures that will be recommended by the Oversight Committee.
“I ask all residents living in the Honiara Emergency Zone to please respect the lockdown period and stay home during this time so that we can reduce the transmission of the virus and contain and control the current epidemic of COVID-19 in the country,” Sogavare said in his Special National Address today.
Honiara City is now the epicenter of covid-19, although the original outbreak of COVID-19 was traced back from Ontong Java in the Malaita Outer Islands.
Sogavare warned that the Honiara outbreak means COVID-19 is now exported to provinces from Honiara through ships that sail from Honiara to provinces.
The lockdown now prohibits people, vessels including Outboard motors and aircrafts from traveling to and from Honiara to the provinces.
Special exemptions will be given to high priority cargo flights and personnel entering from overseas to assist the Government’s response to the situation.
The 4-day lockdown will include the two localized lockdowns at the Lord Howe Settlement and Burns Creek Community.
