Nishimura's Pen

  BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO SOLOMON Islands government will continue to increase their focus and provision of covid-19 related services to provinces, says Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare. Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare Sogavare said in the Western province, al l health facilities, triage and isolation wards at Gizo Hospital, and the Western border facility at Nila in Short land Islands are operational and are on standby. “Gizo Hospital covid-19 testing laboratory remains functional and can now conduct pre-departures tests for persons in the western province who are planning to travel. “In Malaita province, allow me first and foremost to convey my sincere appreciation to those that assisted in and were involved with the joint mission to contain a possible community transmission of covid-19 in Malaita province. “I reiterate my thanks to the members of the joint team, the community members, as well as family and friends of the student that had reactivation for their support. “As

  BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO SOLOMON Islands nationals in the United Kingdom, USA and Canada are being encouraged to be vaccinated before their repatriation home. Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare in his recent address said the government is aware that there are some Solomon Islands citizens waiting to be repatriated from the UK, USA, and Canada. Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare “We encourage these citizens to be vaccinated before their repatriation home. “In this regard the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be coordinating with our High Commissions, Embassies, and representatives in these countries to ensure our citizens can access vaccinations before their return home,” said Sogavare. He said the government is meanwhile planning a ‘final’ repatriation flight to bring home about 40 remaining students in Manila. Sogavare adds, in terms of vaccine for Solomon Islands, approval for AstraZeneca vaccine had been given despite missing out on the Pfizer vaccines for 0.25 percent

  BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO AMIDST the negative impacts of the covid-19 pandemic, Claire has shown resilience through her hard work and enthusiasm to help combat the virus. Claire is deaf and unable to speak and only communicates through sign language and writing. Claire showcasing an early prototype mask.Photo By Kaleko Steifree Solomons  The quality of her sewing skills has brought the attention of Kaleko Steifree Solomons who believed in her and provided her with the necessary training and supervision. With this support, Claire was able to brand her own product, “the Claire clothe facemask”. These masks are now being sold in Solomon Islands to support COVID-19 prevention. To date, Claire and 10 other women have been empowered to diversify their marketing, design and production skills, and were able to maintain regular employment throughout the continued difficult economic impacts of COVID 19 restrictions and have managed to sold out 3,000 masks.   “My confidence has

BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO THE public will soon be updated on the covid-19 situation in Malaita in relation to contact tracing, says Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare. “We will provide further updates as soon as the results of our expanded contact tracing programme comes to hand. Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare “I have asked the Ministry of Health and Medical Services and the Director of Health and Medical Services in Malaita Province, Dr Henry Kako, to speed up the expanded contact tracing process and swabbing of the other contacts of the student that tested positive while in his village,” he said. Sogavare said the student that was brought back from Malaita province and is now at the Field Hospital is still negative. “I am also happy to reconfirm that the 31 tests that were collected in the village where the student stayed in all tested negative for covid-19,” he said.  

BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO THE country now has three covid-19 cases; one new one and two reactivated cases. The new one is a returning student from the Philippines, and the two reactivated cases are persons who had returned from the UK. They had recovered and tested negative, but later tested positive. This was confirmed by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare yesterday in his national address. “Since my last address, I regret to advise that we have registered one additional case of COVID-19. This new case who is one of the students that arrived from Manila on 21st January 2021, has now brought to 18 cases, the official number of COVID-19 cases in our country. “Apart from this new case, the last two cases from the UK that had turned negative had reactivated and have become positive again. “This means we have three positive Covid-19 cases, only one of whom is new and the other two are reactivations. However, as I had indicated in my special address on Monday 29th January, the r

  BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO COVAX Facility has confirmed the allocation of a suggestive number of 108,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Solomon Islands despite missing out on Pfizer vaccines. This was confirmed by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare yesterday in his national address. Sogavare said the country had got approval for AstraZeneca vaccine despite missing out on the Pfizer Vaccines for 0.25 percent of the country’s population.    “Despite missing out on the Pfizer Vaccines for 0.25 percent of our population, I am pleased to inform you all that the COVAX Facility has confirmed the allocation of an indicative number of 108,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Solomon Islands. “We hope to receive 40 percent of the doses during the 1st quarter of 2021, and the remaining 60% during the second quarter of 2021. “I am pleased to inform you all that preparations are well underway for the for the roll-out of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Solomon Islands,” he said. Pr

  BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO TEST results of passengers on the flight marked as high-risk which arrived on Sunday night February 7 is pending, says Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare. Sogavare said the flight brought in 77 passengers who were all swabbed on arrival to ensure the country knows their covid-19 status on arrival.   Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare “I am pleased to inform you all that the 77 passengers who arrived on the flight last night had all been swabbed on arrival to ensure we know their covid-19 status on arrival. We anticipate receiving the results within 24 hours (from yesterday 3pm),” he said. Sogavare said test results for all the arrival over two weeks have been made known. “Except for those that arrived last night for whom we have not yet received their results, have tested negative for Covid-19,” he said. Sogavare said on January 25, 2021, a total of 255 people arrived in the Solomon Islands, five via PNG, 18 via Fiji, 23 via Brisbane, 124 from Guan

BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO NATIONAL Referral Hospital (NRH) is returning to normal service and standby arrangements. According to Prime Minister Sogavare the covid-19 isolation wards at the NRH which were used in the early phase of the country’s repatriations are now empty and are undergoing minor maintenance work. Prime Minister Sogavare  Sogavare said a ll doctors, nurses and support staff that were called upon to assist with covid-19 have been released to return to their normal duties on standby mode should the National Health Emergency Operation Centre further require their support. He said staffs that remain a core part of the covid-19 programme are those of the NRH Molecular laboratory. “I urge the public to continue to observe the COVID-19 prevention measures when going to the NRH. “These include the frequent hand washing with soap or hand sanitiser, maintaining physical distance of at least a meter, coughing into bent elbows, and limiting the numbers of visitors,” sa

  BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO THE covid-19 vaccine side-effect is very low, says Dr Jimmie Rodgers. Rodgers, secretary to Prime Minister and deputy chairman to Over Sight Committee, clarified this in the recent radio talkback show due to lot of people being worried about side-effects of vaccine and reaction of the covid-19 vaccine. Doctor Jimmie Rodgers Secretary to Prime Minister and Deputy Chair to Oversight Committee  “Just to assure us in the public that published report on side effect of the vaccine stressed that it is very low. A big study in USA said that it comes roughly about one case in every 100,000. That figure is important it means it’s a rare event. “For all those, on our side our outpatient at the National Referral Hospital sees about 3000 patients every month, 36 thousand every year, they see two anaphylactic reactions (a life-threatening reaction to drug allergies that causes the widespread dysfunction of body systems) on a normal treatment in Solomon Islands,” h

  BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO THE national vaccination policy paper has been prepared to be submitted to the cabinet says Dr Yogesh Choudri Technical Advisor to Health Ministry. Technical advisor to Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Dr Yogesh Choudri Choudhri said the paper is prepared by the Ministry of Health and Medical Servcies. It will be presented to the National Coordination Committee and then to Oversight Committee and to the cabinet. He said this national vaccination policy paper will provide the background on how we will go about the vaccination.   Pauline McNeil permanent secretary to MHMS said the national vaccination plan to do with the covid-19 vaccination have been put in place. Pauline McNeil PS Health Ministry   “Right now, we have drafted a policy on COVID-19 vaccine and it should be delivered to cabinet and caucus this week to be reviewed and it should be finalised. “We also have preparation in the event we have this vaccine mechanism in place. In terms of Hum

  BY MAVIS N PODOKOLO THE much talked about repatriation flight that would bring in passengers from markedly high-risk countries in terms of covid-19 arrived last night (Sunday 7 February 2021). Loti Yates Director National Disaster Management Office (NMDO) confirmed to Island Sun that the flight arrived at the Henderson International Airport yesterday evening around 7pm. Yates said this flight brough in nationals who are coming back home and foreigner nationals who will come in to work the major government project.    Doctor Jimmie Rodgers Secretary to Prime Minister and Deputy Chair to Oversight Committee  According to Dr Jimmie Rodgers, passengers coming on this flight are from United Kingdom, USA, Africa, Europe, Europe and Asia including Japan and Korea. Rodgers said technical experts from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka to work on various project in the country with aimed to boost infrastructure development. He said these countries are categorized as high risk a

  BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO WHILST the country is experiencing bad weather, Ranogga island in the Western Province has also got its fair share. Most villages in South West and North Central of the island have been affected by high tide and sea level rise. According to villager Christopher Munukolo, around 1:30 pm - 2pm on Monday, villages on the island were hit by high swells that caused widespread damages to coastlines. Munukolo said properties especially OBM boats, wooden dugout canoes and piggery were affected by waves as high as 1.5 metres. “Coastline stone-sea walls, wharfs and coral reefs were being damaged,” Munukolo said. Sea level moved into the  coastal areas Ranogga island was lifted three metre above the sea by the earthquake that struck Western Province in April 2007. At Koriovuku village, an estimated 1 to 1.5 metre rise occurred, during which time the sea came back to its position before the earthquake, said Munukolo. He said Koriovuku men, women and chil