The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Medical services Pauline McNeil, yesterday Sunday, said the country had an additional 57 positive cases of COVID-19 after a 24-hour testing and reporting period.
Mrs. McNeil was speaking during the Oversight Committee’s talk back show.
She said 126 samples were tested, with 57 returning positive. She said this brought the total number of community transmission to 320 since the first case was detected.
She said at least 15% of those that tested positive were below 18 years of age, with 20% over the age of 45.
She added that the bulk of those that had tested positive were not vaccinated, including those experiencing serious symptoms as a result of the infection.
.Meanwhile, she said additional measures were being highlighted by the Oversight Committee, including the banning of betelnut sales and the lockdown of Burnscreek. Other localized lockdowns were also being considered.
She said it was still difficult to know the total number of people infected with COVID-19 and explained, ‘What we currently have is the infection status of those that have been tested. It is very likely the numbers are a lot higher.”
“So far, we currently have a 40% average positive rate (total tested vs total positive). According to the WHO, a positive rate of less than 5% is one indicator that the epidemic is under control in that country.”
As of today, Monday, the Ministry of Health has stated that there will now be a different strategy employed in the vaccination roll out.
Today’s vaccination roll out will only be for workers in critical infrastructure and essential services, those that do not fall under this category will have to wait.
The Health Ministry says mobile vaccination teams are being set up to roll out the vaccines to homes and communities throughout the week.
They advise the public to listen out for further announcements and to look out for the vaccination team as they come to their communities and to get their vaccination done.
The government is scrambling to contain what is now fast becoming an uncontrollable outbreak of community transmission of COVID-19.
The change in approach is aimed at boosting vaccination numbers, and to stop people from moving into town – which may lead to clusters of super spreader locations.
They advise the public to listen out for further announcements and to look out for the vaccination team as they come to their communities and to get their vaccination done.
The Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Public Service announced in a circular yesterday, quote.
As we enhance health and safety measures against Covid19, reopening of Public Service businesses in Honiara recognizes the significance of keeping our local economy afloat by ensuring productivity is maintained and that basic and essential services to our people are continuously running.
"Public servants are therefore requested to resume duties with strict health and safety conditions.
To lessen the risk of exposure by public service employees to the Covid19 virus, respective Ministries/Agencies management are instructed to approach business operations as follows:
(a) Provide ministry-operated transportation for officers travelling to and from the workplace particularly for officers/employees who do not have a vehicle;
(b) An officer or employee who may be exposed to the virus must not resume duty but instead seek appropriate medical assistance;
(c) Reactivate work-by-home arrangements by officers who may unable to attend to duty at the office/place due to the high risks by providing work-enabling ICT devices;
(d) Ensure officers and employees are equipped with personal protective gear appropriate for use in their respective duty places;
(e) Officers and employees must wear face-masks, use hand sanitizers, and maintain social distancing while discharging their duties at their respective workplaces;
(f) Where appropriate organize inter-ministry meetings virtually on-line as per the SIG-Virtual Meeting Policy;
(g) Limit the number of clients and customers entering SIG-Ministry/Agency premises at a given time.
Furthermore, to lessen the risk from contracting the virus from the general public, respective ministries/agencies and management must ensure that customers and clients seeking SIG-Public Services must:
(a) Comply with all Covid19 health and safety protocols;
(b) Wear face-mask at all times when entering SIG-Ministry/Agency premises;
(c) Show proof of completed Covid19 vaccinations at the respective Ministry/agency security gates;
(d) Ensure that customers or clients that do not meet health and safety requirements be disallowed entry, and
(e) Ensure hands sanitized at placed at security gate entry points.
End of quote.
In respect of the ban on shipping, the ban remains effective until the time it is revoked, which means all Solomon Islands vessels must not leave the Port of Honiara.
The current ban on vessel and aircraft movement in and out of the Honiara Emergency remains effective.
This means vessels, small craft and aircraft intending to leave or travel to the Honiara are not allowed.
The ban also applies on the movement of aircrafts until the Order is revoked.
The Regulation orders that the operator of an aircraft must not permit or enable a person on board the aircraft to disembark from, get out of or jump from the aircraft anywhere in the emergency zone.
The banning order explains, an essential worker is exempted from complying with this Order while carrying out his or her work functions, responsibilities or duties, or travelling to and from his or her place of work.
Those breaching the banning order(s) will be penalized accordingly. The ban became effective from 6:00am Saturday 22 January.
In the first of two publically made comments since the increase of Covid cases, the Opposition Leader has said millions of dollars have been spent on several mock lockdowns in the past and there should already be mechanisms in place to address food supply and distribution in such situations.
Mr. Wale has urged the Government to ensure food supply and distribution mechanisms are in place for a longer lockdown period.
Mr. Wale said his office is aware that the Government is planning another longer period of lockdown in response to the current COVID outbreak in Honiara.
“The Government through the ministry of agriculture and the disaster management office must make sure people have access to adequate food supply. Therefore, it is only relevant that the Government enlighten the public on the mechanisms in place,” he said.
Mr. Wale said millions of dollars had been spent on several mock lockdowns in the past and there should already be mechanisms in place to address food supply and distribution in such situations.
Mr. Wale said the majority of people will definitely feel the pinch if we go into a longer period of lockdown.
“I understand these are not normal times but in such health crisis and economic challenge, most of our people will not be able to afford basic necessities and food for even a week or so. Some families will definitely struggle,” he said.
Also the Opposition Leader said the national government should also give a subsidy to Solomon Water to ensure water is not disrupted.
He said other essential services such as Solomon Power should also make sure power is not disrupted.
“In fact, most of these mechanisms should already be in place and frequent messaging of such information should already be rolled out so that people are well informed on what to do and what is expected in such situations” he said.
The Leader of Opposition said the Government had a two year window to fully prepare and there should be no excuses.
The Leader of the Opposition has also urged the Government to redirect resources to COVID health facilities and response services.
Mr. Wale said in the light of the current COVID-19 situation in the country, it warrants the wisdom to redirect all funds and resources to the National Referral Hospital, additional field hospitals and expanding the health care system.
“We are in a health crisis that warrants are more comprehensive approach meaning we should prioritize all funding resources to our health care system and to manage and keep our citizens safe,” he said.
The Leader of Opposition said the Prime Minister himself in his recent nationwide address had admitted that the NRH is now in a serious health crisis.
“It is insane that the gov’t allocated $100million for PG 2023 preparations whilst our healthcare system is facing imminent collapse under COVID pressure. It is tragic that the priority now is building stadiums and not healthcare infrastructure,” he said.
The Leader of Opposition said we had a two-year window to prepare ourselves but the fact that we only have 56 beds at the isolation field hospital indicates that we had no strategic plan for any community transmission in Honiara and around the country.
“Prioritize the lives of our people and the health care system and infrastructures to tackle this current outbreak. Let’s face the fact that there will be setbacks as a result of this current community transmission and it will further delay preparations towards PG 2023,” he said.
In separate but welcome news, Australia has delivered the first of two deliveries of medical supplies to the Solomon Islands.
The medical supplies arrived on board a Royal Australian Air Force flight, and will help in the country's response to the growing COVID-19 outbreak.
The two flights will deliver 19 tonnes of supplies, including 100 oxygen concentrators, masks, gloves, infection control equipment and other PPE.
Australia will also help in transporting 6 tonnes of UNICEF Pacific emergency supplies.
Australia is continuing to procure further equipment to support Solomon Islands in its COVID-19 response.
In the face of such challenges, Australia says it will always stand ready to assist its Pacific Family.
Solomon Islands has a 40% average positive rate (total tested vs total positive). According to the WHO, a positive rate of less than 5% is one indicator that the epidemic is under control in that country.
In other news also today, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services says they will be looking at recruiting laboratory technicians to assist boost their manpower requirements.
The ministry’s Permanent Secretary Pauline McNeil disclosed this yesterday, Sunday, in a radio talk-back show.
“The testing capabilities at the Molecular laboratory, National Referral Hospital, has been stretched in terms of capacity of our human resources and so we are trying to go out to the public to identify who are our laboratory technicians out there who could come forward to assist us,” McNeil said.
She also stated that they are looking at utilising other nurses who are unemployed to fill in the gaps at NRH.
“We are trying to coordinate as much as possible in trying to map out who is there to fill in the gaps,” McNeil said.
She stressed that has become one of their main challenges at the Ministry of Health and Medical Services.
“We are also reaching out to our partners who will support us in terms of capabilities, PPEs and IPC items and other key critical equipment that we need during this crisis,” Ms McNeil has said.
Sources. GCU, MHMS and various SI media reports printed in today’s newspapers.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
