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‘Where’s our allowance?’

Written by
Eddie Osifelo
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SINU students meeting at Pavillon, Panatina Campus on Thursday 29th October.

SINU SIG-students urge gov’t to pay up

By EDDIE OSIFELO

ABOUT 1,055 government-sponsored students at Solomon Islands National University (SINU) are calling on the Ministry of Finance and Treasury to settle their second semester allowances.

The students are under pressure from their landlords and demands to meet their basic needs after semester two resumed early this month.

Each student is supposed to receive a total of $29,720 after tax deduction for the whole semester which runs until January 2021.

As such, Ministry of Finance and Treasury is expected to make a total payout of $31 million to meet the students’ allowances.

One of the students said they found out that their allowances was on invoice stage, awaiting Permanent Secretary, McKinnie Dentana to approve the payment.

“Our allowance is one off payment; therefore, the government should prioritise it compare to students in regional universities.

“We have been waiting for nearly five months now after we spent our first semester allowances to return home during the break,” a student spokesman said.

The student said if things comes to worse, they will ask the government and SINU to allow them to return home.

Reports reaching Island Sun revealed that the government is facing serious cash flow problem, making it difficult to meet its obligation to the students, SINU and even the 500 nurses planning to go on strike today.

Finance Permanent Secretary, Mckinnie Dentana could not comment when contacted on Thursday 29th October.

ESP fisheries, tourism applications cleared

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Press Release
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THE first round of assessment of all applications towards the Economic Stimulus Package under Fisheries and Tourism sectors completed the entire screening process this week.

That’s according to the ESP Oversight Committee of the national government.

“This means approvals have been made on the most genuine applications through the vigorous screening process,” a government statement said.

“Following the completion of the screening process, the recipients whose applications are approved will be contacted in the coming days,” the statement continued.

“All successful applicants will be contacted to collect their letter of offer from the committee and sign an agreement with the ESP Oversight Committee.

“The purpose of the agreement is to ensure that all recipients are committed and are obligated to utilise the ESP support according to its intending purposes when they applied.

“As stated in the agreement, all recipients of the ESP are obliged to report to the committee during the monitoring stage that the funds they receive are utilised accordingly to the stated purpose that they had applied for.”

The ESP Committee reiterates that all applications go through a vigorous and strict screening and selection process and a list of information relating to the applications will be published via a database following the launch of a data software today.

Meanwhile, approvals for projects such as piggery, poultry, timber milling and root crops are currently under screening process and is expected to complete by the end of this week or early next week.

Process to release payments on cleared recipients is under way as well.

“The Government through the ESP Committee is fully committed to the implementation of the ESP on the interest of the wellbeing of the people, national stability and economic empowerment,” the statement said.

–OPMC PRESS

Suspicious fishing vessels spotted in Solomon waters

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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A fishing vessel spotted during the survelliance flight on Tuesday 27th October.

BY PRIESTLEY HABRU

A Pacific wide maritime surveillance operation has discovered a few suspicious foreign vessels in Solomon waters as of early this week.

The Pacific Islands Forum Agency (FFA) coordinates the surveillance operation with the Royal Australia Air Force (RAAF) supporting with one C-27J Spartan aircraft operating out of Solomon Islands.

After one of C-27J’s surveillance flights to the southern and western Exclusive Economic Zones of Solomon Islands on Tuesday, Flight Lieutenant Andrew Willersdorf said there are a few suspicious vessels spotted so far in the last eight to nine days.

“Potentially there are a couple of suspicious vessels, which have been forwarded to FFA, so they would investigate further,” he said.

Tuesday’s surveillance flight was the eighth Flight Lieutenant Willersdorf and his crew had made within Solomon Islands waters since this operation – known as ‘Operation Kurukuru’ began two weeks ago.

A few local journalists were invited onboard the Tuesday’s flight which flew over the Indispensable Reefs, an uninhabited coral reef located about 50 kilometres south of Rennell Island.

The six-hour surveillance flight was able to sight five fishing vessels which were all photographed and recorded as standard procedures during such operations.

Flight Lieutenant Willersdorf said what his team members normally do in a day is to take photograph of fishing vessels and gather intelligence which would then be taken back to FFA.

“FFA will then analyse those pictures along with the information we provided such as location, time and any activity that is happening on the boat at that time and they will make investigations further on that if they see any illegal activity or any unregulated fishing.

“It’s all part of a big effort for broader Pacific islands nations including Solomon Islands and working together to make sure that the EEZ are respected and that fishing is regulated to ensure sustainability for the future for the Solomon Islands and other Pacific islands nations,” he added.

Flight Lieutenant Willersdorf said Australia is proud to be able to assist in this operation and he thanked the FFA and Solomon Islands for hosting them for this period of the operation.

Flight Lieutenant Andrew Willersdorf

He reiterated that the Australian Defence Force is also happy to help with Operation Kurukuru.

Apart from the RAAF’s C-27J Spartan aircraft under Flight Lieutenant Willersdorf’s command, five other aircraft from the FFA and Quadrilateral regional partners of Australia, New Zealand, USA plus France are providing air surveillance under the Kurukuru Operation 2020 for FFA member countries including Solomon Islands.

The air surveillance by a total of six aircrafts are also conducting trials using satellites and other emerging technologies.

In the sea there are 12 Guardian Class and Pacific Patrol Boats from Pacific nations operating alongside five French Navy and United States Coastguard vessels.

Indispensable reef

The aim of Operation Kurukuru is to detect, deter, report or apprehend potential Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing activity and build capacity of national surveillance initiatives through support and mentoring from the Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre at FFA.

Operation Kurukuru 2020 ends tomorrow.

17 released from GBR

Written by
Mavis Podokolo
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BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO

SIXTEEN returning female students quarantined at the Guadalcanal Beach Resort were released yesterday after completing all testing protocols.

Karl Kuper, Chairman for Institutional Quarantine Facilities (IQF), confirmed that the 17 students, who returned from the Philippines, were released on Tuesday night after successfully completing their fifth test.

Kuper said only one of the 18 students is still at GBR quarantine facilities.

According to Ministry of Health and Medical Services Office, returning students from the Philippines have taken their fifth round of testing and if all are negative they should be released.

However, the results returned were negative so they were released to their families since all their previous four tests returned negative as well.

Health Ministry further said that daily health screening is ongoing and the number of quarantine days and testing depends on risk assessment of country of departure.

Those from high risk and intermediate risk countries will undergo 21 days of quarantine and four tests and those from low risk countries will undergo 14 days of quarantine and three tests.

“All these quarantine and testing protocols are set in place to ensure we continue to prevent the virus from spreading beyond quarantine and isolation wards to our communities.”

HEALTH RISK

Written by
Mavis Podokolo
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National Referral Hospital

Nurses to stage sit-in protest over unpaid allowance claim

BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO

NURSES in Honiara and Guadalcanal will stage a sit-in protest starting tomorrow over delays to their covid-19 allowance claims.

The action is likely to bring to a stand still health service delivery in the city and on Guadalcanal.

The proposed sit-in protest was communicated in a letter General Secretary of Solomon Islands Nurses Association (SINA) Steve Maitani delivered to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health Pauline McNeil yesterday.

Maitani stated in the letter the protest would be staged to allow responsible authorities to act on the grievances of the nurses.

“The SINA Office humbly calls on the Government to expedite our concerted efforts towards settlement of this undertaking to ease our hardworking nurses anxieties especially at this critical period of covid-19 SOPE,” the letter reads.

“Not only that but time is against us, and so it is timely we remind the Government on what we have committed ourselves to deliver to our hardworking nurses in a timely manner,” it added.

“SIG had failed to respond to this urgent call for Covid-19 Allowance Review and facilitate payment accordingly, by close of business on 30th October 2020.”

Maitani said the sit-in protest would be staged at the National Referral Hospital car park.

Nurses are expected to be in their uniforms when staging the sit-in protest.

They were advised not to carry banners, posters, or clipboards; not to shout, no weapons, no music or singing.

“Just come assemble yourself there.”

Nurses are urged to show solidarity by being part of the protest.

Comments are being sought from Permanent Secretary McNeil.

Multi-Purpose turns covid-19 operational this week

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Multi-Purpose Hall

BY PETER ZOLEVEKE II

THE Honiara City Council (HCC) owned Multi-Purpose sporting facility will be fully operational into a new ‘field hospital’ by the end of this week.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare made this known during his nationwide address on Tuesday 27th October.

“Fellow citizens, I had referred to my government’s efforts to temporarily convert the HCC Multi-purpose hall into a Field Hospital for Covid-19 asymptomatic cases. Work on this project was temporarily put on the backburner when we shifted focus to the Western Boarder quarantine and Isolation facilities,” PM Sogavare announced.

“With the four new asymptomatic cases of Covid-19 and the likelihood for more cases, we now urgently need to complete the work on this Field Hospital to ensure it is operational by the end of this week.”

He said that a team from the government’s Oversight Committee together with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services visited the facility earlier this week and are confident it can be completed before the end of this week.

“The completion of this facility is now the most important priority for government to ensure it is ready before we complete the second round of testing of all the passengers,” the Prime Minister said.

The facility will be ready for asymptomatic cases of covid-19.

On the same note Oversight Committee Chairman, Dr Jimmie Rodgers also confirmed the sporting facilities transition area to curb the likely surge of the virus.

“The Multi-Purpose Hall is now the field hospital; it’s an expansion of the national referral hospital into an area where designed to cope with the surge,” Dr Rodgers said.

“We don’t have rooms at the NRH for those, and it’s much better to have it close to the hospital.

He added that the facilities will not be used like a quarantine center.

“It will not be like a quarantine center, it is basically a three model hospital. Now if you look at other bigger countries in the World, they used soccer stadiums, public halls they have been remodeled into Covid hospitals and that’s exactly what we’ve doing except ours is better because the environment inside is more controlled and security is assured,” Rodgers added.

Dr Rodgers also confirmed that they are mounting CCTVs at the facilities to monitoring patients.

He adds that the Multi- Purpose facility will accommodate up to 80 patients.

17 footballers remain in UK

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Chairman of the Oversight Committee Dr Jimmie Rodgers

Players under government’s support

BY PETER ZOLEVEKE II

‘SEVENTEEN’ out of the 31 Royals Football Academy players remained back in the United Kingdom, two of which tested positive to covid-19 along with their close contacts – and will be under the government’s support there.

Sixteen of the returning footballers are already in the country on the Auckland repatriation flight on Sunday 25th, four of which were ‘red flagged’ upon arrival and later tested positive.

In a press conference yesterday, Chairman of the Oversight Committee Dr Jimmie Rodgers assured that the remaining players will return once the government arranges them to repatriate.

“On the soccer boys, sixteen arrived and seventeen still in UK. Of the ones that are in UK still supports them until flights are arranged for their return,” Dr Rodgers responded when asked.

The players have been stranded in UK since the beginning of this year; they have played their stint with Stars Football Academy and 9th-tier English league clubs.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in his nationwide address revealed that the returning footballers were tested negative three times.

 “They each sent their filled questionnaires. However, our contact tracing had already established that not all the questions were answered truthfully,” the Prime Minister said.

Sogavare also said that one of who was positive refused to wear a mask during the flight sidestepping standard requirements.

“We know who that individual is, and both he and the nation, need to know that his selfish actions in the plane had put many more passengers that came in on the flight last night at greater risk of exposure to the virus, and he had put our country in danger,” he said.

The four cases are now in the National Referral Hospital (NRH) Isolation units, while the other 12 players remained in shared rooms (two each room) at the quarantine site according to the government’s ‘risk management’.

“The football players they shared rooms before they came, so the sharing room arrangement from there is maintained over here. Part of our challenge is that we don’t have enough rooms for single rooms. So where the risk is already exposed we retained the same risk,” Dr Rodgers cleared.

PM Sogavare meanwhile firmly cautioned that responsibly authorities will certainly deal with those people after their completion of required quarantine period.

Selfish action puts country at risk: PM

Written by
Mavis Podokolo
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Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare

One of four new covid-19 cases had refused to wear mask in plane

BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO

SELFISH attitude of one returning national repatriated on Sunday night’s flight has put the country at greater risk to the virus.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare on Tuesday 27th October, said this while announcing the country’s four new covid-19 cases, all from this flight.

One of the four new cases had reportedly refused to wear a face mask in the plane, and was also reported to have moved about during flight.

This selfish attitude and action has possibly exposed a greater number of other passengers to the risk of contracting the virus, something which the ongoing contact tracing will confirm soon.

“It has also been reported to the government that one of the soccer players who is positive refused to wear a mask during the flight from Auckland to Honiara, despite being asked to do so repeatedly.

“We know who that individual is, and both he and the nation, need to know that his selfish actions in the plane had put many more passengers that came in on the flight last night at greater risk of exposure to the virus, and he had put our country in danger. We will of course deal with this matter after the completion of the mandatory quarantine period.”

He stressed it is the country’s standard obligation that all passengers must complete their pre-departure tests and truthfully fill a risk assessment form that is assessed by our health team before passengers are allowed to board.

“Fellow citizens, I had always highlighted to you, any risk behaviours by our returning citizens, that had been reported to us that puts other people and our country at risk. This flight on Sunday 25th October is no different,” said Sogavare.

He adds, all the soccer players tested negative three times. They each sent their completed forms. However, our contact tracing had already established that not all the questions were answered honestly.

Now is the proper time for repatriation: Manetiva

Written by
Barnabas Manebona
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Premier of Central Islands Province, Stanley Manetiva

BY BARNABAS MANEBONA

IT is said that now is the proper time for national government to repatriate citizens in Honiara to their provinces having Solomon Islands already registering positive Coronavirus (Covid-19) cases.

When Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare called for repatriation early March this year, there was still no Covid-19 case in the country. Now having confirmed cases in the country, Premier Stanley Manetiva of Central Islands Province (CIP) from his view said it is just proper for repatriation to take place.

However since the early repatriation resulting also in the tragic loss of 27 lives on MV Taimareho at Are’Are, it is pointed out that the government is not mentioning any such move again of repatriating citizens purposely to reduce the population in Honiara in order to help in measures of control.

“My view in this time of situation is that it is just proper repatriation should take place,” said Manetiva.

“People after repatriating early this year have been returning back to Honiara on which funds should be available again to send them back to the provinces.

 “On that note, hospitals and clinics in all provinces must have their quarantine and isolation centres.

“Also, before repatriation takes place, some small economic plans must be in place for the people.

“People must participate in fisheries and agriculture small scale projects such as planting of kava, ginger and cassava farms.

“My point, SIG must not just repatriate people back home. They must give them activities to keep them busy during this time, more on participatory.

“For repatriation, no other people from different provinces should go to other provinces as well as they must go back to their home of origin.”

4 new cases

Written by
Mavis Podokolo
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Members of the Oversight Committee recently. Photo PETER ZOLEVEKE II

BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO

THE country has recorded four new cases of covid-19.

This brings the national tally to eight cases in total; four active, four inactive and fully recovered.

All four new cases are asymptomatic, continuing the country’s remarkable record of 100 percent asymptomatic cases.

Early this week, Solomon Islands had a few hours of respite with news of zero active cases after the fourth case was announced with negative covid-19 result. However, public on Monday were alerted to four passengers from the high-risk flight on Sunday night who were red-flagged, pending test results.

Yesterday, prime minister Manasseh Sogavare broke the grim news that the four had tested positive for covid-19.

PM Sogavare, in an earlier address on Monday this week, had said that contact tracing had begun when the four were red-flagged during tarmac testing on Sunday night.

With the help of the newly introduced tarmac testing, potential SARS-CoV-2 carriers can be spotted as soon as they set foot off the plane, allowing authorities to quarantine red-flagged passengers from the rest as mandatory testing continues.

And, with contact tracing underway, other passengers who may have been exposed to the four cases will soon be identified and monitored.

In his special national address yesterday, Mr Sogavare said, “Fellow citizens I very much regret to once again, inform the nation, these four tests had been confirmed positive for covid-19.

“All four cases are from the 16 returning soccer players that had been stranded in the United Kingdom since early this year.

“All the sixteen players were seated together in the flight which minimises the risk of potential spread to other passengers. All passengers on the flight were also required to wear protective face masks.

“All four are in the isolation units at the NRH. The rest of the soccer players are quarantined together,” said Sogavare.

He said the remaining travellers from the UK, France and Italy that had been tested on Monday night are quarantined in single rooms to minimise any potential spread should any of them become positive.

“Despite the four new cases, and the likelihood for some more in the coming days, the planning and execution by our front-liners had given us confidence we have contained the infection to the isolation facility. Any further possible infection will be captured in the quarantine stations and dealt with decisively.

“My good people, your Government remains committed and vigilant in our fight against covid-19. Our determination is stronger than ever. Our resolve has never wavered. Our mission to contain and eliminate covid-19 from our shores is attainable,” said Sogavare.

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