BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO
THIRD repatriation flight is likely scheduled for end of this month (June) but this depends on the availability of spaces at the Institutional Quarantine Facilities (IQF).
This was echoed by Jimmy Rodgers, Secretary to Prime Minister
“At the moment scheduling of repatriation flights depends on availability of quarantine spaces.
There is quite a lot of nationals out their so we look at our capability on quarantine space.
So, the next flight for repatriation is likely to be at the end of the month tentatively we are looking at 28th of June for Brisbane Solomon Islands and we are hoping to do a Fiji straight after that 1st of July.
I think it’s planning together with our capacity at the quarantine centers,” said Rodgers.
He said currently the country have a 28 quarantine policy which will come to an end on 23rd and 24th of this month.
“We still have many stranded nationals still out there
For seasonal workers in New Zealand there are 164 ready to come and for graduates in USP there is more than a hundreds,” said Rodgers.
On this matter Special Secretary to Prime Minister Albert Kabui said “In terms of reparation the government will continue to repatriate our citizens overseas.
Since we have in country testing capacity so we able to repatriate our citizens of course under the health protocols.”
Meanwhile, two repatriated flights have been successfully executed by the Solomon Islands governments.
These flights included one for nationals and foreigners stranded in New Zealand and Australia and one flight for Fiji and Vanuatu.
