𝐍𝐎 𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐃-𝟏𝟗 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐒 𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐉𝐈-𝐒𝐈 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓

The Ministry of Health and Medical Services has clarified that rumors circulating in the social media today that three COVID-19 positive persons have boarded the Fiji-Solomon Islands repatriation flight today (October 28th 2021) are not true. 

 

 

A statement from the Ministry confirmed, COVID-19 tests were performed on all passengers listed to travel on the flight today and results for all returned negative except for three persons.

 

Of the three exceptions, two were confirmed positive while one is inconclusive which is neither positive nor negative and usually in such cases, COVID-19 retesting is done.

 

Two of the positive cases were children of the same family and were not vaccinated as they are below 18 years of age. 

 

As such the two children together with their family were denied boarding the flight.

 

The other one which is inconclusive and a roommate who was in close contact were also denied boarding the flight.

 

Under the current precautionary measures, all inconclusive test results are treated as positive.

 

The statement said of the 132 passengers who boarded the flight, none of them tested positive for COVID-19 as opposed to the rumors. 

 

107 of them were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with the remaining 25 passengers under the age of 18 years.

 

All have generated negative test results for COVID-19 which is a key criteria for all incoming travelers and have been practicing COVID-19 key preventative measures days before boarding. 

 

As per the policy of Solomon Islands, no one who is tested positive for COVID can board a flight to Solomon Islands. 

 

The Ministry maintains enforcing strict repatriation protocol, procedures and standards and therefore any person not adhering or having breached the regulations or did not meet the criteria under the repatriation protocol will not be allowed to board flights.

 

Meanwhile, the Ministry is also aware of the unvaccinated population below 18 years old who are on this flight, but there are already existing mechanisms to address such a situation.

 

The Ministry would like to once again call on everyone to get vaccinated to protect the country as the risk of importing COVID-19 remains.