SOLOMON Islands will be able to open its borders if its vaccination coverage reaches more than 80 percent.
This was echoed by Health permanent secretary Pauline McNeil during a recent radio talkback on the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation.
“In order for us to open our border again we need to overcome a ceiling of more than 80 percent to be able to fully open our border so that we have that immunity to fight against the virus in the country.
“I ask the 25 thousand who have already get your first dose and five thousand plus who are fully vaccinated, can you also advocate for us. Advocate for your families, relatives or your colleagues to go forward and be vaccinated.
“I am reaching out to all of us again our community leaders, church leaders, tribal leaders and those who are fully vaccinated to please advocate for the vaccine so we can increase the vaccine coverage at the moment is only one percent. Honiara alone is 10 percent. We are not there yet,” McNeil said.
Individuals who wish to go overseases as seasonal workers are being urged to vaccinate before leaving Solomon Islands for Australia and New Zealand.
Dr Yogesh Choudhri, Advisor to Ministry of Health and Medical Services echoed the above sentiment in a recent radio talkback on covid-19 updates on SIBC.
Choudhri said the Ministry of Health is advocating for everyone travelling out to be vaccinated before departure.
“We are strongly encouraging people who are going overseas, the seasonal workers especially to come and get their vaccination done at the Central Field Hospital,” he said.
Choudhri said they have vaccinated a few people who are going overseas as seasonal workers to Australia and New Zealand due to the company they will work under requires people to be vaccinated before they go to New Zealand and Australia.
“But rest of the companies do not make it mandatory. We are encouraging you if you are going out please get your vaccination done and you go out,” he said.
Health Permanent Secretary Pauline McNeil said apart from the vaccination some countries also require pre-departure testing so the ministry of health does pre-departure testing for people who are traveling out.
“I am sure the seasonal workers would have done that as well for the pre-departure testing as well as fully vaccinated before they travel,” McNeil said.
She stressed this comes under collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs because it’s a mobility programme.
McNeil said in terms of the vaccine time frames (before the next dose), Sinopharm is four weeks and AstraZeneca is 10-12 weeks, hence the planning and scheduling process is quite crucial.
THE case of a man alleged of obtaining money by faking his death has been adjourned for July 12 for mention.
Peter Fakaia is accused of faking his own death and obtaining $76,000 from a local pharmacist in Honiara in 2019.
Fakaia’s case was mentioned in court yesterday and the court was informed that prosecution intended to make an application to vacate the trial date.
Presiding Principal Magistrate Felix Hollison adjourned the case to July 12 so that prosecution can make a proper submission to vacate trial date.
Prosecution said the accused sought medication at the People’s Pharmacy at the Kwaimani building at Kukum, after taking his medication he then left; however, the next day he returned to the pharmacy complaining that he had allergies with the medication.
He was then given another medication and advised to see a doctor.
On September 23 at about 8am, the complainant received a call through his office phone by a person who purported himself as the accused’s brother-in-law.
The complainant was informed by the accused’s brother-law that the accused he diagnosed had died at the National Referral Hospital and was at the morgue.
The accused’s brother-in-law then allegedly demanded a compensation of $10,000 for the cause of the death.
The complainant in total allegedly gave $76,000 to the so-called relatives of the accused.
On September 26 police were alerted about the incident and police arrested a person who came to collect the last portion of money requested for the accused’s death.
Using the accused’s alleged associates; police finally arrested the accused after halting him in his vehicle at the Ranadi roundabout.
Office of the Director Public Prosecution appears for the crown on the case.
George Hanua, WV Community Development Facilitator visiting a Solar Dryer at a project sites in Makira.
MARKET Linkage Phase 11 Project of World Vision Solomon Islands in Makira Area Program has recorded a total of 13.9 tons of Cocoa value at $145,846.78 produced by its Producer Groups for the first half of this year.
The figure was recorded from the shipments of cocoa by the producer groups from January up to June to Kokonut Pacific Solomon Islands.
Makira Area Program Manager James Wamae revealed this while updating WVSI Staff during the 2021 Staff Meeting last week at Ginger Retreat Beach.
Wamae said MLPII project in Makira has indeed seeing impacts of the project as producer Groups are very active in engaging with the project.
“From January to June this year MLPII has so far shipped a total of 13.9 tons of Cocoa produced by the Producer Groups to Kokonut Pacific Solomon Islands which at a value of 145,846.78 received by PSGs,” Wamae stated.
World Vision’s Community Development Facilitator (CDF) Dorcus Moliki and Mathew a member of producer group checking the cocoa beans inside a Solar Dryer at Tawapuna Village, West Bauro Makira Ulawa Province.
“In Makira, weather is a big challenge especially because the project has introduced solar drier for the producer groups to dry their cocoa beans, but the figure now has shown a great achievement,” he added.
Wamae also highlighted that the Project has helped eight Producer Groups (PGs) to secure provincial licenses and registered at the Company Haus.
Market Linkage Phase II (MLPII) Project is under the livelihood sector of World Vision Solomon Islands and is aimed to address the root cause of vulnerability by ensuring households and communities are better equipped to provide for children’s health, education and growth and invest in community assets to reduce vulnerability.
The project utilises three main project models: Savings For Transformation (S4T); Resilient and Inclusive Social Enterprises (RISE) and Community Channels of Hope (CCOH).
The goal of the RISE model is to increase the profitability and sustainability of social enterprises so that they are independently planning and taking action to improve their social enterprise, generating more sales and profit and being resilient to shocks and inclusive of vulnerable community members groups.
The RISE approach has been designed specifically to tackle the market and social challenges that face many communities in Melanesia.
Bags of Cocoa beans at Kokana awaiting shipment to Honiara.
The RISE model builds on more than a decade of community based economic development programming in Solomon Islands and is the appropriate next step to graduate savings and producer group members towards establishing small businesses.
The CCOH model is working towards addressing gender issues by working with church faith groups.
In Makira the MLPII project conducted training for them about saving especially the S4T model which encouraging producer groups and families to save money and be able to do share out or for them to access small loan from that saving.
They were also trained on gender topics to ensure inclusion on their activities especially women and people with disability (PWD).
Farmers were also trained on farm management knowledges and introduced solar drier for them.
The project even secured a reliable buyer for the producer groups especially Kokonut Pacific Solomon Islands (KPSI).
Interestingly, the part of their sales always going towards their saving groups.
KPSI also assisted the project on technical advices and trainings for producer groups especially on the required quality of cocoa produce for exports.
The partnership has been so far cherished as the producer groups are now equipped with knowledge on cocoa production.
The 13.9 tons of Cocoa currently sold to KPSI is a testimony of the partnership.
Funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), MLPII is the biggest project currently implemented by World Vision Solomon Islands especially in Makira, Weather Coast of Guadalcanal, Small Malaita and Temotu.
The project focus on cocoa, coconut and fishery.
The Project will soon be handing over the fishery centers constructed to people of Marau in Guadalcanal Province.
THE Government’s Economic Stimulus Package implementation has reached its Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) stages.
This is according to a statement the ESP Oversight Committee issued yesterday.
“Honiara and Guadalcanal Province are the first two provinces for the M&E stages,” the statement said.
“Officials who have been recently recruited to undertake the task will go through an intensive training this week before they are mobilized to the field to collect data for the evaluation exercise,” it added.
“The committee strongly encourages recipients from the ESP initiative to work cooperatively with the data and survey team in order to provide sufficient and reliable information.
“The committee believes the reliability and adequacy of the information provided is necessary for future references and guide on similar initiatives.”
Meanwhile, the committee also approved that processing of approved receipts will cease on 16th July 2021.
This is to allow work to concentrate on the monitoring and evaluation of the package.
The committee said it acknowledges that all other payouts for other sectors have been finalised and disbursed to recipients.
“The Government through the ESP Committee is fully committed to the accountable implementation of the ESP in the interest of wellbeing of the people, national stability and economic empowerment,” the statement said.
THE University of the South Pacific (USP) has confirmed that the next Solomon Islands Campus Graduation has been scheduled for October 2021.
According to USP’s Student Administrative Services (SAS), the graduation will be for students in the following groups;
· Solomon Islands student or students based at Solomon Islands Campus who are completing their programme in Semester 1 2021,
· Solomon Islands student or students based at Solomon Islands Campus who are completing their programme in Trimester 1 or Trimester 2, 2021,
· Solomon Islands student or students based at Solomon Islands Campus who will be completing their programme in the 2021 Winter Flexi-School term, and
· Any Solomon Islands student or students based at Solomon Islands Campus who have completed their programme in an earlier semester / trimester and have not graduated.
SAS called on students in the above groups to apply for the graduation as applications are now open and closes on Friday, 30th July 2021.
“Do not wait for your results to be released! You must apply before the closing date. Late applications will not be accepted,” it said.
Completing students are required to fill in and submit a hard copy of the Completion of Programme application form at the Student Administrative Services office at their campus.
“There are number of checks that need to be carried out and a number of reports that need downloaded before the final grades come out which is why we require potential graduands to apply by Friday, 30th July 2021.”
The last day to assess pending applications for the Solomon October 2021 Graduation is Friday, 17th September 2021 therefore students should ensure that all their pending issues are sorted by this date.
Malaita Provincial member for ward 14, Preston Billy, second left, with members of Clean Water for Life ready to ship equipment
for bore wells to East Malaita.
By EDDIE OSIFELO
ABOUT 4,000 people from Atori to Kwai Island in East Malaita will have access to bore well water sources.
This after a Non-Government Organisation, Clean Water 4 Life ministry is working in collaboration with Malaita Provincial Member for ward 16, Preston Billy to co-fund drilling equipment, pipes and cement bags to establish 17 bore wells in the constituency.
The cost of all the equipment to establish the project is around $119,000.
Billy said bore wells suite well for individual communities compared to water supply that attracts a lot of land disputes between the people.
He said people can access water directly from bore well without any issues because they have ownership over it.
He said unlike water supply sources, many people claim ownership over it and could result in land disputes.
Team leader of the project, Kellison Apuapuri Sirioda said these are standard bore wells.
He said they work according to World Health Organisation drilling standards to establish them.
Sirioda said the duration of completing the work is around three weeks.
Previously, he said his team have established 11 bore wells in ward 18 from Olomburi to Sinaragu in East Kwaio.
Sirioda said bore well has no other contaminations because it accesses ground water.
CW47 has brought smiles to thousands of people in the remote villages from Shortlands to Makira Ulawa to date through established 850 bore wells so far.
Passengers arriving from Australia at the Honiara International airport go through thermal sensors as workers check for coronavirus symptoms on Thursday 29th January.
PRIME Minister Manasseh Sogavare says the country’s COVID-19 free status is a testament of the pre-arrival and post-arrival protocols, and the dedication of all our front liners.
The Prime Minister said Solomon Islands has been COVID-19 free now for almost 3 months.
“This is a testament to our pre-arrival and post-arrival protocols, and the dedication of all our front liners,” he said.
Prime Minister Sogavare said 18 of the 20 previously positive people have completed their 90-days follow-up periods and have been released.
He said the remaining two people will complete their 90-days this month and will be released if their final review returns negative.
“I thank all the former positive cases for their corporation with our health team,” he said.
The Prime Minister also urged all former positive cases to be vaccinated.
“Recent studies have shown that previously positive people develop much longer protection against COVID-19 if they also get vaccinated after their infection,” Prime Minister Sogavare said.
OUR 10 students in Fiji that have tested positive for COVID-19 are all “asymptomatic”.
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in his nationwide address said all 10 of them are doing well and none of them are sick from the illness.
The Prime Minister said as of Sunday, the first two students had been given the greenlight to be released by the Fiji Ministry of Health.
However, he said our team on the ground advised the students to remain in the accommodation until all of them are negative.
Prime Minister Sogavare said all 10 students are living together in one accommodation apartment.
“Based on the policy of the host government, the students have been isolated at their accommodation with the support from the Fijian authorities and our own High Commission and Student Attaché in Fiji,” he said.
Sogavare said the high commission and education attaché in Fiji visited our students daily.
“Following COVID-19 safe practices and social distancing, they deliver necessary support from food to face masks and gloves,” he said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sogavare said based on the situation in Fiji, the Fiji Ministry of Health is anticipating the situation to get worse before it gets better.
On Sunday Fiji reached its highest daily total of 522 new cases. In the first 4 days of July alone, Fiji has registered 1,743 new cases of COVID-19.
Prime Minister Sogavare cautioned that given the level of community transmission in Fiji, it is likely for more infection among our students, although they have been incredibly careful to look after themselves.
“We have advised all our students to get vaccinated as soon as possible to comply with Fiji government’s COVID-19 vaccination rollout policy and follow COVID-19 safe practices when they go for vaccination,” he said.
The Prime Minister said to protect our people and our country; all people travelling from high-risk countries to Solomon Islands must be vaccinated first.
THE Government is committed to repatriating all graduating students and their families from Fiji at a time that is safe for the country.
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in his nationwide address early this week also announced that Fiji is now classified as a ‘high-risk country for covid-19’.
The Prime Minister said the Oversight Committee has agreed to a repatriation flight.
However, he said the date of the flight is still under consideration.
“My good people, we must fully assess the best time to repatriate our students,” Sogavare said.
“This assessment must ensure we do not accidently bring the Delta Variant to Solomon Islands through a repatriation flight,” he added.
The Prime Minister said the current outbreak in Fiji has so far infected more than 6,100 and claimed 28 since April this year.
It started from two people that brought the Delta Variant to Fiji from India.
“We must guard against such possibility in Solomon Islands.
“At the same time, we must ensure we provide the best support to our students in Fiji during this difficult time,” he said.
Prime Minister Sogavare said it is imperative for all graduating students and students planning to return home to complete their courses online in Solomon Islands, to be vaccinated before they return.
“Fellow citizens, to protect our people and our country, we also have a policy that all people travelling from high-risk countries to Solomon Islands must first be vaccinated before they travel,” he said.
The Prime Minister said we cannot take any chance of potentially bringing in the Delta Variant COVID-19 infection to Solomon Islands.
Prime Minister Sogavare said the Government will continue to work with the Solomon Islands High Commission in Suva, SPM Dr Jimmie Rodgers and his wife Dr Elizabeth, who have also been caught up in the COVID-19 outbreak in Fiji, to ensure our students are safe, and that they all are vaccinated as soon as possible.
