6 COVID CASES RECORDED BETWEEN JANUARY & APRIL
Covid-19 testing
The Ministry of Health and Medical Services has recorded 6 Covid-19 cases between January and April this year.
Acting Minister for Health, Hon. Frederick Kologeto confirmed this in Parliament today.
“One case was detected on the 14th of January, two cases on the 27th of March and most recently, 3 new cases were detected on the 12th of April.”
“The cases were detected in Honiara. One from pre-departure testing that was requested, and 5 cases at the National Referral Hospital and Honiara City Council clinics,” he said.
The country has improved so far in containing the transmission of Covid-19, since opening its international borders in July last year.
Hon. Kologeto confirmed that testing for the detected cases was done on persons presenting to clinics and hospitals with flu-like illness.
The Ministry has also recorded an increase in flu like illness, Influenza H1 in Honiara, and parts of the country.
Secretary to Prime Minister, Dr Jimmie Rodgers in a press conference last week confirmed that the NRH molecular laboratory has detected Influenza H1 since last month.
He said it is a different strain from Influenza H3 which was detected and has been circulating in August last year, and is life threatening to persons with asthma, underlying health conditions and other respiratory illness.
Symptoms for Influenza H1 are similar to that of Covid-19.
Meanwhile, Minister Kologeto has advised the public to take similar covid-19 measures such as frequent handwashing, coughing into elbows, wearing of masks in public or crowded places, including avoiding close contact with persons experiencing flu-like symptoms.
“These can all help to stop the spread of the Influenza H1 and help us stay protected against this flu.”
“The Ministry has also step up its testing with collections from samples from sentinel sites, from patients presenting with flu- like illness.”
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