Cooperation vital to determine state of Covid transmission in Honiara

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Cooperation and obedience to health advice is vital to determine the extent of covid-19 transmission in Honiara as community transmission of the deadly virus is projected to increase in the city in coming days.

Community transmission in Honiara is projected to increase in coming days. Photo: Jared Koli

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare called on members of the public to see health officials if they have contact with people arriving from Ontong Java on January 10.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare yesterday called on passengers arriving onboard MV Akwa on January 10 from Ontong Java together with their immediate contacts to call the health emergency operations hot line on 115 and 25256 for medical assistance.

“I urge all passengers arriving on MV Akwa on 10 January to call phone numbers 115 and 25256 to inform our health team where you are to ensure they can determine the state of COVD-19 transmission in Honiara,” Sogavare said.

The latest case was a passenger arriving from Ontong Java onboard MV Akwa that arrived in Honiara on 10 January after departing Luaniua, Ontong Java on 9 January.

There were many other passengers that travelled on the vessel from Ontong Java who are living in different parts of Honiara.

The health team has been busy since Monday this week to identify and contact trace passengers that arrived in Honiara from Ontong Java.

There were also reports that some of the people that travelled on the vessel are not well. It is likely some more people that travelled on the vessel may test positive.

“The COVID-19 situation in Honiara is much more serious than in Ontong Java right now because we do not yet know the extent of the spread of the virus in the city,” Sogavare warned yesterday.

Based on contact tracing information, people that travelled on the vessel were identified in four general locations in Honiara including the Lord Howe settlement at Mataniko, at a house in Ranadi Marine school area, a house in Naha, and a house in Tasahe.

In the last 24 hours, health authorities are working around the clock to identify the exact location of all the passengers that arrived in Honiara from Ontong Java and determine the geographical boundaries of the spread of COVID-19 infection in Honiara.

-GCU

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