It hasn’t been possible to see all sources of local news for several weeks in the absence of the Solomon Star newspaper which had been offline, at least overseas, due to a reported technical problem with the paper’s website.
I am glad the website is back on line today, Monday 21 February, 2022, and I have put together a snippet of the latest news reports of both local and international interest.
Quoting four articles published today, Monday.
Malaita Outer Islands – Covid cases reported cleared
A government patrol boat is on its way back to Honiara after checking newspaper reports last week that the Malaita Outer Islands (MOI) has beaten the deadly coronavirus after an outbreak there in early January.
The national government allegedly initially blamed Pelau as the entry point in the country for the virus. It later retracted the account. Local medical doctor, Dr Aipia who was on Luaniua at the time, told Solomon Star he treated those who were sick with Restocin – a combination drug used to treat common cold.
Dr Aipia said he and the people of Pelau and Luaniua were questioned about the truth of the report, which suggested that although they never had masks or had practised social distancing, no one died from the virus.
“Instead, they all recovered and are now harvesting bechedemer every morning,” Dr. Aipia said.
“Is it true that the people are normal again,” the team on the Patrol Boat asked Dr. Aipia.
“I just told them that they should ask the people – ask them how they are now and whether there were any deaths,” Dr. Aipia told Solomon Star in a telephone interview from Luaniua on Friday night.
“I told them that the first two weeks in January were the hardest for me as I was the only qualified medical doctor there at the time. I hardly had any sleep as I moved around to treat people. I simply gave them tablets of Restocin and they responded very well to the treatment.”
Dr. Aipia said just before he left Honiara for Luaniua last December, he took with him 3, 000 tablets of the drug which is used to treat the common flu.
“Two weeks later, the 2, 000 or so people who were infected were all well again after being treated with the Restocin. “Now they are diving every day for bechedemer. They are well again. They have beaten the corona virus,” he said.
Dr. Aipia said it would seem some doctors do not understand fully that the corona virus is a simple flu, which can be easily treated with Restocin in a matter of days.
Footnote – Solomon Star
Dr. Aipia uses RESTOCIN – an anti-cold drug in tablet form – which has been used to treat common colds for many, many years. Restocin is a combination drug which contains paracetamol (500mg), chlorphenamine (anti-histamine) (2mg), caffeine (30mg) and phenylephrine (5mg).
“The corona virus is simply a common cold, which can be effectively treated with an early intervention of three doses of Restocin over three days or five days at the longest period of treatment.
“The reason so many people have died in Honiara is allegedly because the common cold was allowed to develop into pneumonia, which had then proved fatal for some,” Dr. Aipia said.
He said the government team on the patrol boat were surprised that the people of Ontong Java had survived the outbreak of the disease despite being so exposed to the virus.
But Dr. Aipia has questioned the trip to Ontong Java by the patrol boat, saying it would seem they would not accept this simple treatment.
“The team onboard told the people they were there to check that people harvesting the bechedemer had licences to do so.
End of footnote.
Covid cases - national update.
As of Sunday the country has recorded 69 new COVID-19 cases.
Honiara recorded 28, Malaita 22, Western 11, Guadalcanal three, and Makira five.
This was revealed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health &Medical Service (MHMS), Pauline McNeil.
She revealed the new figures during the Covid-19 talk back show over the national broadcaster-SIBC.
In terms of the total cases as of Sunday, the number stood at 5,790. She stated that the new case count since Saturday was 106.
“Out of the 106, 69 were new cases, Honiara 28, Malaita 22, Western 11, Guadalcanal three (3) and Makira five (5),” she said.
The remaining 37 cases reported yesterday were old cases, including 30 from Malaita and 7 from Western Province.
The total deaths as of yesterday was 83, 6 deaths are added to the 77 deaths reported by Dr Nemia Bainivalu the Covid-19 Health Coordinator Committee in Solomon Islands Saturday.
All the deaths were reported in Honiara.
The six (6) deaths were from old cases but were reported yesterday.
Mrs. McNeil also updated the country with the Covid-19 situation at the National Referral Hospital (NRH).
She said the NRH recorded 167 patients with Covid-19, out of that 167, 80 patients were Covid-19 positive, making up 48% of the total patients.
Out of the 80 Covid-19 positive cases, 70 were severe and required oxygen.
Five deaths had been reported at the NRH since Saturday.
“That’s the basic run-down of Covid-19 cases for the country,” Mrs. McNeil said.
Vaccination rate
Solomon Islands’ vaccinated population has now reached 32% the Ministry of Health & Medical Service (MHMS), Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Pauline McNeil has revealed.
This was for the people who are 18 years and above and at least 58% for those who are getting their first vaccination doses.
Mrs. McNeil made the revelation yesterday during the Covid-19 talk back show over the national broadcaster-SIBC
She was speaking via zoom, where all the panel members of the talk back show also spoke via zoom.
“…18 years and above who got their two doses stands at 32% at least 1 dose stands at 58%,” she said.
The breakdown of the vaccination percentages per province are as follows;
For Honiara and Guadalcanal for two doses stand at 41%, for Choiseul for two doses 49.1%, for Western Province was 39.1%, for Malaita 10%, for Temotu 33%, Central Islands Provinces was 8%, Isabel 69%, Makira 14%, and Rennell & Bellona Province 66%.
“We are doing well in vaccination as well and respond to Covid-19,” she said.
She added that all citizens have been acknowledged by MHMS for doing well.
Mrs. McNeil said the MHMS had started to consolidate Covid-19 vaccine doses data from provinces.
Report on 2nd February 2022 stated that the total doses administered to date now stood at 774,348.
The health team also administered AstraZeneca a total of 328, 631 and Sinopharm 45,717.
“In addition to that, we also have administered Pfizer vaccine and the total to date which the health team administered and delivered was 4,559 for the age group 12 to 15 years old and pregnant women and of course those who needed a booster dose,” she said.
She said just to give a picture of the demography of health and especially to define our work on vaccinations, within the last six weeks we have delivered or administered 90,000 Covid-19 vaccine doses.
This was equal to the rate of 15,000 doses administered per week.
“So we acknowledge the hardworking health team in Honiara and in the provinces and also communities where they had mobilised themselves and individuals for them to come forward to get the vaccine,” she said.
Covid-19 cases in the country are slowly improving.
Proposed Border reopening
The country will reopen its borders on the 1st of July 2022, once the vaccination rate nationwide hits the 60 to 70 percent target.
This was revealed by the Secretary to Prime Minister (SPM) and chairman of the National Oversight Committee (NOC) Dr. Jimmie Rogers during Sunday’s Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (OPMC) talk-back show over the national broadcaster.
The Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Ministry Health and Medical Services, Mrs. Pauline McNeil said at the moment the vaccination rate had hit 32%.
“In the next couple of months if the vaccination rate hits 60-70percent we will reopen our borders,” the SPM said.
He said if those who have taken their first dose go and get their second dose then within three to eight weeks, the vaccination rate will hit 58% rate.
He said the country won’t stop after that but would continue to push and reach the 90 percent target rate as earmarked by the national government.
He said this was important to allow business and economic activities to continue.
Both the SPM and PS thanked members of the public for coming out in numbers during the past weeks to get their first, second and booster shots.
Members of the public are encouraged to visit the nearest vaccination site to get their vaccination doses.
Cargo flights by Solomon Airlines to the provinces.
After two days of rest, all four Solomon Airlines aircraft will be up and flying as of this morning (Monday) to airlift cargoes to the provinces.
Saturday and Sunday were rest days for the aircraft and airlines staff.
This morning, Monday (21st February) will see a number of scheduled cargo-only flights from Honiara to Gizo, Munda, Seghe, Kagau, Fera, Suavanao, Kirakira, Atoifi, Auki, and Choiseul Bay.
Tomorrow – Tuesday (22nd February) flights on schedule will be from Honiara to Bellona, Rennell, Parasi, Gizo, Ballalae, Auki, Manaoba, Santa Ana and Kirakira.
Non-perishable goods can be lodged in advance for the flights.
Honiara residents stranded in those destinations can return on the flights.
Solomon Airlines has been busy over the couple of weeks in airlifting cargo to some of the hard to reach destinations.
Some of these destinations were unable to be serviced by boats.
As such only aircrafts and helicopters were used.
End of quotes
Source - Solomon Star NEWS.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
