A surge in COVID-19 sick patients is expected for provincial hospitals and rural health centres, according to the Minister for Health and Medical Services, Dr Culwick Togamana.
“We are expecting a surge in COVID-19 sick patients in our provincial hospitals, Area Health Centres and Nurse Aid post,” Togamana said.
He said the Ministry this week will continue deploy more oxygen supplies, PPEs and equipment and Pharmaceutical to level two medical stores to distribute to the various health services.
Togamana said many of these have been distributed in the past week and are slowly reaching the designated facilities.
He also said further training for health workers were conducted last week in Honiara and the provinces in the management of COVID-19 patients from various levels like moderate to severe and critical cases.
“Such training of COVID-19 management will also be conducted for provinces to manage our vulnerable and at-risk population such as our elderly’s and those with comorbidities as well as those with long COVID-19 syndrome after being discharged from health facilities,” Togamana said.
A community elder of Simbo Island who is also a Senior Officer of Western Province has come up with an initiative to translate COVID-19 safety rules into the Simbo language.
Gideon Tuke said he has produced over 200 pamphlets, distributed to households in Ward Two in Simbo.
He said the pamphlet accommodates pictures as well as simple COVID-19 Safety measures.
Tuke said it is important for messages to be translated to local languages as most of the messages were written in English and Pidgin.
“Our people are action oriented and it is important for us to make such small contribution to our communities as our contributions towards fighting this pandemic.
“I come to realize that people will more attracted to their language/identity as such giving out message in local languages is very important,” he said.
Tuke encourages those who access to computers and other accessories to help communities understand COVID-19 safety measures.
CHAIRPERSON of Western Provincial Disaster Operation Committee has called on family members of people who are undergoing self-isolation at homes to take responsibility in making sure COVID-19 protocols are respected.
Jeffrey Wickham made the call following reports that few people have breached safety protocols.
He said managing home quarantine in urban centres has been very difficult given the limited manpower and financial resources to meet people’s expectations.
“We are certain that those who are undergoing home quarantine in villages are easier to manage because we have community based COVID-19 taskforce to look after the patients.
“But it is quite difficult in our towns, therefore, those concerned must be responsible not to spread the virus,” Wickham said.
Reports reaching Island Sun Gizo said that few individuals who are living with positive cases were seen walking freely at Gizo town.
Concerned Gizo residence feared such practice put the general public at high risk and that responsible authorities need to address the issue.
Solomon Airlines has welcomed Australia’s new international border rules, which this week open the country’s borders to all fully vaccinated visa holders, preparing for the return of tourists, business travellers, and other visitors.
Since the Australian Government started a gradual reopening of the country’s borders from 1 November 2021, more than 580,000 overseas travellers have arrived in Australia to reunite with family and loved ones, or to work or study.
From today, travellers across all eligible visa categories can now enter Australia, as long as they are COVID-19 fully vaccinated or have acceptable proof that they cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.
Visa holders who are not fully vaccinated still require a valid travel exemption to enter Australia, and are also subject to the country’s state and territory quarantine requirements.
Solomon Airlines said the new rules will mean many more passengers for the airline’s service between Honiara and Brisbane which currently operates every Friday through to 1 July 2022.
To coincide with Australia’s border reopening, the airline has restored its normal booking process for its Honiara to Brisbane weekly flight. It is again possible to book seats on the flights via the website www.flysolomons.com and through travel agencies who have access to Solomon Airlines flights.
“This is a welcome relief to our business and will also be very welcome news to many people who need or want to fly to Australia and other countries via Brisbane,” said Solomon Airlines CEO Brett Gebers.
“Australia’s reopening is credited to the overwhelming COVID-19 vaccination rate within the country.
“As of this month, over 94% of all Australians over 16 years of age are fully vaccinated, a vaccination level that we must strive to get close to in the Solomon Islands,” he said.
Solomon Airlines said the convenience of again being able to book Honiara to Brisbane online, will benefit passengers who prefer to book via the airline’s website using a credit card. It also means those flying via Brisbane and transiting to other countries can book their flights on a single ticket.
Passengers travelling from Solomon Islands to Australia are currently exempt from pre-departure testing requirements. Passengers transiting in Australia to another country will likely require proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test and will need to check the requirements of their other airline and destination country.
A Digital Passenger Declaration is required to be submitted within 72 hours prior to departure, replacing the previous Australia Travel Declaration form.
Honiara to Brisbane bookings can be made online via Solomon Airlines website www.flysolomons.com or by calling the airline’s Reservations team on 177 (local call) or visiting their Point Cruz Sales Office.
Brisbane to Honiara flights are still only bookable through the airline’s Sales Offices in Point Cruz and Australia and are currently unable to be booked online, due to border restrictions, approval processes, mandatory checks and quarantine requirements.
More than 50 people from 15 different countries attended the training course from Payap University in Thailand
During the recent Covid outbreak when so much was shut down, three educators attended an online course entitled, “Arts in Literacy and Education Material Development”.
The course was offered by Payap University in Chiang Mai, Thailand. In total, fifty people from fifteen countries around the world took the three-week course.
Margaret Saumore, a principal education officer for Multilingual Education at the Ministry of Education and Human Resources (MEHRD) was one of the local participants, along with Corina Leve, a lecturer in Early Childhood Education at Solomon Islands National University.
The local group was facilitated by Martha Matzke, a literacy and education specialist serving with Solomon Islands Translation Advisory Group (SITAG).
The purpose of the training was to train teachers in how to develop learning materials based on the local language and culture in which they work. Each participant made a ‘cultural calendar’ to show things like; the seasons, winds, agricultural and fishing activities, festivals and celebrations for their home culture. The teachers then used the calendar to plan weekly themes for each week of the school year.
The training was based on a model of ‘Discovery, Decide and Develop’. The idea was to discover and study local art forms in a culture including things like; crafts, music, poetry, stories, agricultural traditions, etc.
An Arosi Cultural Calendar produced by Margaret Saumore
The teacher then chooses one idea or theme to develop learning materials for the students, based on that idea. At the same time, teachers are encouraged to think about the students and develop materials that are appropriate for their level of learning.
During the workshop, each person created materials based on one theme. When Margaret Saumore was asked how the course helped her, she said, “The training helped me to understand how to better develop culturally appropriate materials using the existing local art forms.” said Margaret Saumore.
Margaret Saumore chose ‘Ogu’ (the Arosi word for seaworm) for her theme. She created a big book, small reading book, ‘busy picture’, listening story, sequence pictures, song and poem, in Arosi. These materials were created for grade 3 students to help them learn more about seaworms and the place they play in the Arosi culture.
“The training helped me to understand how to better develop culturally appropriate materials using the existing local art forms as well as developing new ones.” said Margaret Saumore.
Corina Leve chose ‘ruku’ (rain, in Roviana) as her theme. She looked carefully at a traditional Roviana song to discover the patterns and style of the song. Then she wrote a new song about ‘ruku’, following the same pattern. The result is a lovely new song to teach Roviana children about the sounds and feeling of rain in their own language.
A ‘Busy Picture’ produced by Corina Leve on the theme of ‘Ruku’ (rain in Roviana)
When asked how this training course might help students studying ECE at SINU, Corina Leve said,“It will help them to discover and decide on relevant exisiting art forms to produce for their community ECE programs; also to create new and develop own materials to use in enhancing foundational learning’’.
The course also focused on looking at various theories of education and how to apply those theories to the development of materials in order to help students to develop and grow in higher levels of thinking.
Martha Matzke, said of the course, “It is exciting to think about how this type of training might be used here in the Solomons to help teachers learn how to make learning materials that are based on the local language and culture of the children.
“There are ways to create materials in the local language and culture that can be in line with the national curriculum. We hope there will be an opportunity to provide this important training in the Solomon Islands,” She said.
The MV Solomon Prestige 2 in Ontong Java on its latest trip last week. PHOTO SUPPLIED
By EDDIE OSIFELO
ONE of the directors of Premium Food (SI) Limited that owns MV Solomon Prestige 2 has refused to give full details on who authorized the vessel to travel to Ontong Java last week.
The ship arrived at Luaniau island with the Patrol boat on Thursday 17th February and offloaded cargoes before leaving for Pelau on Monday night this week.
It is expected back in Honiara tomorrow.
Gabriel Victor Titili who holds 30 percent shares in the company said he is not privy to that information but his captain.
He said the vessel will be back on Thursday and things will become clearer after consulting his captain.
Yang Jian Qing, who owns JQY holds 70 percent shares in the company.
However, John Mao, one of the bech de mer agent of a Chinese in Honiara and a person who lives on Luaniau island, said the ship offloaded cargoes belonging to many local agents on the island.
Mao believed the Chinese in Honiara chartered the ship to Ontong Java.
He said his Chinese boss could not send cargoes on the ship due to internal politics with other Chinese business people.
Opposition Leader Matthew Wale understands that Secretary to Prime Minister Dr Jimmy Rodgers and Police Commissioner Mostyn Mangau both confirmed in a talkback show on Sunday that Prestige 2 travelled to Ontong Java without any authorization.
“So the question is if the SPM and the Police Commissioner have confirmed that the ship was not exempted to travel to Ontong Java then who gave the authorization for it to travel? Obviously, the ship should have not travelled unless authorization came from someone in a much higher authority than the Police Commissioner’s Office,” Wale said.
The Opposition Leader said reports that the ship was transporting cargoes for foreign beche-demer buyers in Ontong Java must also be thoroughly investigated.
Wale said the Police Commissioner must urgently investigate this matter and prosecute those involved.
Island Sun sent an email to Police Media but is still to receive any response to date.
The general disregard for covid-19 safety measures in Auki is irking authorities.
Chairman of Malaita’s disaster operations committee, Charles Koto voiced this to Island Sun yesterday.
He said the continued behavior of many in Auki public is putting everyone at risk, such as going out in public without face mask, standing or sitting close to other people, disregarding the two-metre distance law.
Koto reminds public that these careless attitudes will only encourage further spread of the virus in the province.
He said recently PDOC reopened Auki betel nut market and scaled up activity for Auki main market under schedule considering people’s need to support their livelihood.
Koto said the markets were opened under very strict conditions and people were tasked to enforce covid-19 measures, however it appears they are not.
He said not only the markets, but there are other services in Auki like public transports need to step up on application of the measures.
Koto said PDOC continues to monitor situation in Auki especially public movement and other activities and will advise public on developments ahead.
He called on residents in Auki and its surrounding communities to take up responsibility in this covid-19 campaign to protect each and everyone from the virus.
Koto said PDOC through EOC will continue to work with people in the province as face with transmission in the province.
TWO communities in Shortland Islands will be on lockdown as of Thursday 24 (this week) following reports of community transmission.
Chairperson of Western Provincial Disaster Operation Committee, Jeffrey Wickham said Toumua village has registered five cases but fearing further transmission, WPDOC also considered Samanego village as the second community to be locked down.
In an interview with Island Sun Gizo, he said the decision was made to stop people’s movement while the Western provincial health team finds ways to reach the communities for swabbing.
Wickham stressed that there is a high possibility that the number of positives has escalated due to lack of tools to carry out testing.
“So, the lockdown will begin this Thursday and ends on Monday next week. However, lifting of this lockdown depends on the situation on the ground. We will extend the lockdown period when it’s needed,” he said.
Wickham said his committee is yet to determine the source of the cases.
He said health officials are working around the clock to pinpoint the source so that further mitigation will be made.
Wickham calls on people of these communities concerned to take extra precaution while follow COVID-19 safety protocols.
THE Attorney General’s Chamber in collaboration with the Solomon Islands Justice Program are currently working on finalising an App to allow ordinary Solomon Islanders access the laws of this country on their mobile phones.
Attorney General John Muria Jnr revealed that the App is called the Law blo Iumi App and it is anticipated that the App will be online before June this year.
“Although our laws are available online on Paclii, the Law blo Iumi App aims to ensure further ease of access to our laws”, AG Muria said.
He said the App would allow ordinary Solomon Islanders to have access to our laws through an App that can be downloaded on to their phones.
