PM ORDERS TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS FROM HIGH RISK COUNTRIES

The Government’s COVID-19 Oversight Committee has been directed  to consider imposing travel restrictions from very high-risk countries.

This is following the current worsening global COVID-19 Pandemic situation.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare made the order today in his weekly national address.

Mr. Sogavare said, “It is necessary to ensure we protect our country from this worsening pandemic situation”.

He added, the Government is closely monitoring the daily rise of COVID-19 cases in the neighboring Papua New Guinea.

Last week, PNG recorded 2,066 cases of which about 58 cases were from Bougainville.  

“I highlight these global and regional figures because the risk of getting more cases of COVID-19 in Solomon Islands is much higher now than at any other time before,” he said.

The Prime Minister repeated his call on residents at the western border to remain extremely careful.

“Please do not cross the border to Bougainville. Please do not allow anyone from Bougainville to cross over to our side of the border,” Sogavare said.

The world is experiencing a new wave of COVID-19 infection that is worse than before, he said.

The highest daily total of new COVID-19 infections has reached 897,839 cases in just 24 hours on April 24.

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