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TRANSPARENCY Solomon Islands (TSI) condemns the unconvincing and irresponsible answers from the Covid-19 Oversight Committee on the exemption of Cargo Vessel Sofrana Tourville, that bypassed the 14 days mandatory quarantine period per State of Public Emergency provision.
The cargo vessel was allowed to berth at Point Cruz wharf last week by the oversight committee breaching the Emergency Powers Regulations which impose compulsory 14 days quarantine for all vessels that travel across international borders to reach Solomon Islands. This is irresponsible and putting our Covid 19 free status and people’s lives at risk.
Secretary to Prime Minister (SPM) Dr. Jimmy Rodgers revealed during the public forum held at the auditorium on Friday that any vessel can apply to the oversight committee for exemption, in this case Sofrana Tourville of Papua New Guinea (PNG) was granted exemption. This statement makes a mockery of the current Emergency Powers Regulation. Those people who breached the lockdown rules in the same token should not be prosecuted either for they pose no Covid 19 threat to anyone.
The cargo vessel travel from Lae to Honiara takes two and half days to arrive here but given the current state of covid-19 in PNG public are so concern that the health of Solomon Islanders is at stake. It seems that Dr. Jimmy Rogers has not done much in the way of reading and doing research to keep up with what is going on with regard to Covid 19.
However, Rodgers explained during the public forum that no country in the world quarantine cargo vessel except for Solomon Islands. So, what. The world has got the virus Solomon Islands does not. Other countries have adequate health facilities, adequate health workers etc., Solomon Islands does not. Our only defense now is to man our borders and strict quarantine for those entering. Learning from other countries on their findings and experiences of the coronavirus. All the more reason to stick with our requirements to keep the virus out. If this is how careless, lighthearted, uncaring, and flippant the Oversight Committee is and especially Dr Jimmy Rogers, then spend the millions on building better and improved facility for the coronavirus away from the main hospital. If not, then God help Solomon Islands should be our prayer everyday whilst Dr. Jimmy Rogers is in position of power.
He said the high-risk place to covid-19 in PNG is Port Moresby but not Lae, and most of the cargo vessels coming to Honiara depart from Lae. It does not matter if the vessel comes from an infected country and whilst they have not got the means to really know how widespread the virus is Solomon Islands should take a precautious approach than a frivolous one.
Dr. Rodgers also pointed out the charges for 20 foot and 40-foot size of containers in US dollars per day, which incur huge costs if the cargo vessel is delayed for too long to berth at Point Cruz. So, he is more concerned about the vessel, cost than the people? To this Transparency Solomon Islands reminds Dr. Rogers that people’s lives matter and the cost of Covid 19 is unavoidable and everyone is paying it throughout the world and vessels are not an exception.
Millions have been affected and hundreds of thousand dead from this virus. The infection in PNG is fast increasing and they have not determined how far it has spread. Lae and Port Moresby have daily flights and many flights per day, so either Dr. Rogers believe people are naïve or uninformed, because his explanations just makes no sense.
He further stated that Sofrana Tourville is not a risk to the country since it is a cargo ship and not a passenger boat. Obviously, Dr. Jimmy Rogers is uninformed and has not read much about what is happening in the world with regard to the coronavirus. Had he read up on this he would have come across report from China that there are instances of coronavirus being detected on packaging of internationally imported goods. Our neighbour New Zealand with more than 100 days without a single case is now struggling to figure out how in a country that closed its borders months ago and was successful at containment. Four people managed to contact the virus and they are linked to cool storage facility one of the focus area of the investigation. Its health experts are now rushing to figure out how their four people manage to contract the virus.
Studies overseas also show the virus can survive in some refrigerated environments for quite sometimes. Transparency Solomon Islands again reminds Dr. Jimmy Rogers to be mindful of asymptomatic carrier and the possibility of transmission via an environmental route such as surface contamination. Let the Health and Medical personal be the leader on this and come up with the measure to minimize the risk than yourself who have been out of practice for a long, long, and long time.
Transparency Solomon Islands questions what power the Oversight Committee has under the State of Public Emergency (SoPE) regulation to exempt vessels from being quarantine. The only person that has that power is the Prime Minister. Has the Prime Minister given that power to Dr. Jimmy Rogers?
The answers from Dr. Rodgers in this issue are so irresponsible, especially when he is the most active figure in the committee. He should be prioritizing the health of citizens than anything else. What were the assessment yardstick he uses to say this country is less risk, this vessel is less risk, this person is less risk than those subjected fully to our Emergency Powers Regulations? His statement that Solomon Islands is the only country imposing quarantine on cargo vessels only shows his total negligence of his responsibility inside the committee to protect Solomon Islanders from covid-19 at all costs, especially our frontline officials, the cargo handlers etc.
His reasons for allowing the vessel to berth to avoid incurring costs for each container due to the delay obviously shows that our lives can be sold for covid-19 in exchange for personal benefits to those controlling the government now. Public must be informed that some countries are imposing quarantine on cargo vessels, thus the answer by Dr. Rodgers that only Solomon Islands did is a big fat lie. They also have more stringent measures including disinfection of containers and crew not mixing with locals and proper protective gear and handling facilities that ensure very little contact between cargo crew and dockyard workers. We have none of these here in our ports the reason for the mandatory quarantine. Citizens of this country must be told the truth that the SPM statement saying containers will be charged in US$ each day if the vessel delayed birthing is also a deception crafted to persuade the public. There is no such thing as charging of containers if it undergoes 14 days quarantine. The Solomon Ports Authority (SIPA) confirmed that quarantining of cargo vessels is a decision made at the government level therefore no such thing as charging each container for more than a thousand dollars for each day as falsely claimed by Dr. Rodgers.
It is now evident that the oversight committee as they gain power do not worry about telling more lies to the public to add on to their lies. This is unacceptable of those being relied upon by citizens of this country at this time of the global pandemic to make wise and careful decision to protect their lives and not to compromise it for no good reasons. Being ranked as one of the poorest and corrupted country in the pacific is obviously a consequence of this style of leadership currently shown by the oversight committee showing someone else may be pulling the strings.
Transparency Solomon Islands wants to remind the government of the day not to repeat the decision they have made to allow Sofrana Tourville to berth at the Point Cruz international seaport without undergoing 14 days quarantine. 14 days quarantine must be applied to all cargo vessels entering the waters of Solomon Islands. Transparency Solomon Islands urges the covid-19 oversight committee not to allow any cargo vessel to berth without 14 days quarantine even if the vessel applied for exemption, quarantining must stand compulsory.
The oversight committee has breached the SoPE Regulation and should be held accountable. There are those who were arrested and charged with breaching the Emergency Powers Regulation. Who is Jimmy Rodgers to breach the SoPE regulation without being arrested by police? The Oversight Committee or each member of this committee should exercise these enormous powers with responsibility ensuring Solomon Islands remain Covid 19 free and not apply these powers selectively.
The oversight committee must know that the spread of covid-19 not only pass from humans but cargoes and equipment as well. Anything an infected person touch is very risky since the virus can survive on the surface for days. The cargo vessels are navigated by human beings who are captains and crews so how on earth we are sure that those crews onboard the ship are not carriers of covid-19. They have sailed through a number of ports the last of which is PNG. All infected countries.
The proposed direct flight from China to Honiara to bring in Chinese nationals into the country on things that not related to covid-19 prevention is also breaching SoPE. The response by Dr. Rodgers to a woman who asked about the China direct flight lacks compassion, understanding and caring whilst not convincing anyone. He hinted the importance of development projects than the health of citizens during this time of the pandemic.
Dr. Rodgers instead asked the question back to the audience if anyone think the Tina Hydro project is not important. He went on to say that major important projects to be carried out were halted by the Covid-19 because foreign nationals to work in these projects are in their home countries and could not make it here due to travel restrictions imposed on international borders. So why SPG 2023.
Transparency Solomon Islands reiterate that the State of Public Emergency (SoPE) is not a privilege given to leaders to make self-serving decisions for them and their cronies that put the lives of citizens at risk or to suppress any particular group/individual from their right and freedom as citizens to raise their concern.
The SoPE regulation does not give dictatorial power to any leader or authority to abuse by making selfish decision for their personal benefits. Transparency Solomon Islands will continue to advocate for transparency, accountability and good governance at this time when the country is under State of Public Emergency to ensure there is no negligence or misuse of the powers given to leaders and those responsible to look after the welfare and health of citizens at this time the corona virus is spreading rapidly across the globe.
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ISSUED BY TSI TONIGHT
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