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Solomon Islands has lost its status as a COVID-19 free country after the Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare, announced this afternoon that the coronavirus is now here with 1 new case.
PM Sogavare describes it as very disappointing.
Honiara residents woke-up to a rumour-mill of a possible positive case(s) already recorded in the capital – as unconfirmed reports were circulating on the social media – but the PM following a Cabinet meeting, which has taken most of today, Sogavare announced that Solomon Islands now has one positive case.
This is an imported cases from the returning from a student from the Philippines. Ninety-six students studying in various universities across the Philippines arrived Tuesday night on a direct flight from Manila.
There are still 305 Solomon Islands’ students in the Philippines and the government has planned further two flights to repatriate them with the possibility of bringing the remaining nationals on Air Niugini via PNG.
The students’ had been facing problems with their visas and the government has vowed to sort out the problem before the next flight.
Two other persons who had been in touch with the person tested positive have now been isolated and have been tested for COVID-19
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