THE State of Public Emergency (SOPE) will end next week, midnight Wednesday 24th March.
The SOPE became effective in the early part of last year when COVID-19 was declared a global health pandemic and spread like wildfire throughout the world.
Speaking about the SOPE during the national-talk-back-show on Sunday, Secretary to Prime Minister (SPM) Dr. Jimmy Rodgers said, the current SOPE will end on 24th March.
He also clarified that the end of the SOPE doesn’t mean people coming into the country will be not be quarantined.
“As we bring in people we will also quarantine them,” he added.
He said once the Pandemic Health Bill is passed in Parliament it will take over the SOPE.
But if it is not passed then the SOPE issue will be brought to Cabinet for a recommendation on what to do next in Parliament.
But Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare will speak more on this in today’s national address.
He said the government will still quarantine people coming into the country.
“We will still quarantine people,” he said.
PM’s address today will clarify if the Health Bill is not passed in parliament and what the government will do once the SOPE comes to an end.
By LACHLAN EDDIE
Newsroom, Honiara
