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.
