BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO
HALF of the nationals who were repatriated from Australia and New Zealand have had their first covid-19 tests and they all turned out negative.
This was confirmed by Jimmy Rogers, Secretary to Prime Minister, on Sunday 7th June during a radio talkback show at the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC).
“Repatriated nationals from Australia have had their first test and half of them have already have their results and they are all negative and is about 39 of them,” said Rogers.
He said the rest of the first group of those who been repatriated from Australia have been tested but the result is not yet available. If the results are ready responsible authorities will let the public know.
Rogers said out of 39 results 24 of them came from the new machine called qPCR. “This machine can do multiple samples, that is the beauty of it.”
He said for the nationals who were repatriated from Fiji and Vanuatu, the tests are ongoing.
“Results will also be put in for public to know if they are available.”
Rodgers said this is the advantage and the capability Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) has in terms of its testing capabilities.
“So that gives us a lot of confidence now for us to go back to the cabinet and propose some amendment on quarantine period in the country,” he said.
Meanwhile the country has two different machines that up and running at the moment.
