BY ALFRED PAGEPITU
If there is any covid-19 case detected in the border communities, the country will head into Lockdown.
This is according to Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.
In his nation wide address on Tuesday he said, “This will restrict people movements in-order to prevent any further spread of the virus beyond where it may have been identified.”
He said the best way to prevent a lock-down, is to prevent its entry into the border communities in the first place.
“My good people of Solomon Islands, the Western Border continues to be a great cause of concern to us in relation to covid-19 security.
“With the rapidly increasing number of COVID-19 cases in PNG, it is highly likely that numbers of COVID-19 in Bougainville are also increasing although it is difficult to know the numbers.
“As of today, PNG has reported a total of 7,406 cases with an average daily increase of around 300 new cases per day.”
PM strongly reminds people at the border communities that no one from Solomon Islands is allowed to cross the border to Bougainville.
He also added that no one from the Bougainville side is allowed to enter into Solomon Islands.
Sogavare explained that this is no longer just a legal matter. It is a matter of protecting and safeguarding life. Protecting our families and children who live in our border communities from covid-19.
“Most people infected by COVID-19 do not have symptoms. They are not sick. If they are infected and are not sick, they can transmit the COVID-19 virus to anyone they meet without knowing about it.
“This is why the best policy is not to allow anyone to come across the border and no one from our side goes across the border.
“Our joint border force is also steeping up its patrol at the border zone. However. this is not a policing matter. It is simply a matter of individual responsibility to care for each other’s health and wellbeing.”
