Gov’t releases people from quarantine centres
By ESTHER NURIA
THE Government on Friday released 150 people who’ve spent the last 14 days in the quarantine facilities in Honiara.
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare confirmed this in his nation-wide COVID-19 weekly address yesterday.
“As of 12 noon today, all persons that came through Australia, Vanuatu and Fiji have been discharged,” Sogavare said.
“All of them have undergone COVID-19 tests and all their results were negative,” he added
Earlier on Tuesday, 24 nationals who were repatriated from Vanuatu in May were released.
Sogavare said these quarantined persons were released under the revised quarantine arrangements proposed by the Oversight Committee which will effectively provide a mandatory in-country quarantine period of 14 days and 21 days in country, including testing as well.
“Cabinet has approved the retrospective application of this new quarantine regime to the all persons currently staying at the institutional quarantine stations.
“This is being captured in the Emergency Powers (COVID-19 (No.2) (Amendment No.2) Regulations 2020 made by the Governor General and published in the Gazette on Monday 15 June 2020.”
A statement released from the Camp Management Committees office says all persons released from quarantine are those who met all the requirements under Category 1, 2 & 3 of the reviewed/updated Institutional Quarantine days and COVID-19 Test Requirements.
Category 1 covers passenger coming in from COVID-19 free countries such Tonga, Vanuatu and Samoa.
Category 2 applies to those coming in from COVID affected countries but are now COVID free for the last 28 days, while Category 3 covers those coming in from COVID affected countries but with regressing rate of new infections and number of active cases decreasing.
“Persons coming in from these 3 categories are required to serve a compulsory 14 days quarantine plus additional requirements prior to their arrival and while under quarantine,” the Camp Management Office said.
“The additional requirements are specific to which category one falls under.
“Currently, only seven nationals are undergoing quarantine – six males and one female, housed at the Airport Motel and Access Apartments at Henderson.
“Four of these quarantine persons are Fisheries Observers who returned to the country via fishing boats.
“The other three are stranded nationals who returned via last week’s special flight from Papua New Guinea.”
The office said after their release, all quarantine centres will be disinfected, cleaned and prepared for the third repatriation flight end of this month.
Prime Minister Sogavare said the Government has also opened a quarantine center in Gizo recently.
The quarantine center in Gizo currently has two people, believed to be two Bougainvilleans arrested at the border.
Sogavare said the Government is also seriously looking into the possibility to open another center at the western border.
