12 cases detected on Bellona as Renbel Province loses it COVID free status

Twelve positive cases were detected in Bellona, ending Rennell and Bellona Province’s COVID-19 free status since the outbreak in January.

For the past months, Renbel and Temotu were COVID-19 free whilst the virus started in Honiara and spread to most of the provinces in the past two months.

In his address last night, Minister of Health and Medical Services, Dr Culwick Togamana said: “I regret to inform our good people at Rennell and Bellona Province that following COVID-19 testing yesterday, 12 COVID positive cases have been detected from 22 samples collected. All these cases are from Bellona; therefore, community transmission is now confirmed for the Island of Bellona in RenBell Province.”

He said the Province now joins the rest of our provinces to respond to COVID-19 community transmission, except for the Temotu Province.

Togamana said contact tracing and more swabs for tests have been conducted yesterday in Bellona.

Meanwhile Togamana said in the last 24hours the country has recorded a total of 290 additional covid positive cases.

He said 183 have been new cases detected from samples collected and tested in the 24 hours.

The origins of these new cases are 25 from the capital, Honiara, 27 from Malaita, 5 cases from Guadalcanal province, 19 from the Central Islands Province, 37 from Western Province, 8 from Choiseul, 50 from Makira, and 12 new cases registered from Rennell Bellona Province.

Togamana said about 107 additional positive cases included in this reporting period were of much earlier cases; 64 from Isabel and 26 from Malaita and 17 from GP. Hence the total positive covid case count now stands at 7,258.

News@SBMOnline2022