PRIME Minister Manasseh Sogavare has conveyed his condolences to victims of the COVID-19 pandemic globally.
The Prime Minister offered his condolences on behalf of the Government and people of Solomon Islands when delivering his virtual address to the 76th United Nations General Assembly recently.
“I offer my sincerest condolences on behalf of the government and people of Solomon Islands to all who have lost loved ones to the coronavirus. We stand in solidarity with you all in the face of adversity during these unprecedented times,” he said.
Prime Minister Sogavare said 18 months after the global COVID-19 pandemic was declared, the battle against the contagious disease has never been more complex and challenging.
He said a new highly transmissible delta variant has infected more than 216 million people worldwide causing 4.5 million deaths.
“Scientists from the World Health Organization indicated that variants of the virus, are potentially more infectious and resistant to vaccines, and will continue to threaten us if they are not controlled now,” he said.
The Prime Minister said during these challenging times, collective action by all UN member states bilaterally and multilaterally is needed now more than ever before.
Prime Minister Sogavare also informed the 76th UNGA that Solomon Islands has maintained its utmost best in doing its part to contain the spread of the virus.
He said to date, Solomon Islands has recorded 20 imported COVID19 cases but they have all been detected and quarantined at the borders, preventing any form of community transmission threats.
“I am pleased to announce that Solomon Islands have not had an active case of COVID -19 for the last five months,” he said.
Prime Minister Sogavare adds that the Solomon Islands Government’s policy is clear – to protect all Solomon Islanders and other nationals living in the country against the COIVD-19 virus, and to keep the economy afloat and build back better from this health crisis.
