BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO
THE country still awaits test results for the 110 citizens who came in from Port Moresby on Saturday, December 12 and final test for 115 citizens who arrived from Vanuatu.
This was conveyed by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in his national weekly address yesterday.
“We await the second test results for the 110 citizens that came in from Port Moresby on Saturday 12 December. This group will also serve a 21-day quarantine period.
“I am incredibly pleased to inform you all, the first test results for all the 498 citizens we repatriated over the last week had come back negative.
“All 140 citizens that arrived on the Auckland flight on Sunday 6th December have completed their quarantine and all should be released by today.
“We anticipate the final test results for the 115 citizens that arrived from Vanuatu on Monday 7th December to also be available today. If they are negative as we expect, they will be released from the quarantine facilities today,” said Sogavare.
He said for Manila flight that that arrived Wednesday 9 December the first and second tests for the 133 citizens are negative.
“Those coming from Manila serve a 21-day quarantine. They will remain in quarantine until they complete their four tests during their quarantine period.
We hope to release a total of 255 citizens from the quarantine stations before Christmas, and a further 243 citizens just after the new year,” said Sogavare.
He said the 3rd and final flight from Manila is scheduled on 11th January 2021 and also All other repatriation schedules remain as per his address last week.
Sogavare said the first two of our 3 repatriation flights to Fiji will operate on 29th and 30th of December to bring home our graduating students from USP with the 3rd flight scheduled for 9th January 2021
In press statement released by the Solomon Airlines interns of their operation to late December and early January Fiji Repartition flights it stressed that the Solomon Airlines will operate three repartition flights between Nadi and Honiara to bring home Solomon Islands citizens.
“The flight planned are to operate as follows:
Honiara to Nadi Flights- 29th and 30th December and 9th January
On 29 December, Flight IE637 will depart Honiara at 6:00am arriving in Nadi at 11.00am. On 30 December, Flight IE639 will depart Honiara at 6.00am arriving Nadi at 11.00am. On 9 January, Flight IE641 will depart Honiara at 6.00am arriving Nadi at 11am.
Fiji citizens wishing to return home on these services are able to make tentative bookings on the Honiara to Nadi sector. Non-Fijian citizens require approval from the Office of the Prime Minister for entry to Fiji. All arriving travellers must have documented proof of a negative PCR COVID-19 test taken no earlier than 72 hours prior to departure date.
Nadi to Honiara flights -29th and 30th December and 9th January
On 29 December, Flight IE638 will depart Nadi at 12.00pm arriving Honiara at 1:00pm. On 30 December, Flight IE640 will depart Nadi at 12.00pm arriving Honiara at 1:00pm. On 9 January, Flight IE642 will depart Nadi at 12.00pm arriving Honiara at 1:00pm.
As the Nadi to Honiara sectors are Government managed repatriation flights, passengers seeking to travel on these services should contact their nearest Solomon Islands Government embassy or mission for further details,” the statement said.
