𝐂𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝-𝟏𝟗 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐚, 𝟒𝟖 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝟐𝟒 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬

“The Ministry of Health has advised that we have diagnosed a total of 48 new cases of Covid-19 between 8am yesterday morning to 8am this morning,” Prime Minister Sogavare said in his special nationwide address this afternoon.

This has increased the total number of cases of Covid-19 diagnosed in the country to 81 – which represent an increase by 61 cases in the past month alone.

Mr Sogavare said 23 cases are crews of a vessel that have been exposed to passengers that travelled from Ongtong Java on another vessel and were returning to Ongtong Java.

He said nine (9) cases are members of the family of a person that arrived in Honiara on 10 January 2022.

“Four (4) cases are staff of the Solomon Islands Maritime Authority and Solomon Islands Enterprises Limited that had come into contact with a crew and a passenger from the vessel that arrived in Honiara on 10 January 2022.

“Two (2) cases are from Lord Howe settlement and one from Police Headquarters.

“Nine (9) cases are from the Emergency Department at the National Referral Hospital in which three (3) are staff and six (6) are patients.”

Mr Sogavare said the Emergency Department is closed as of last night following the diagnosis of the nine cases.

He said all the 48 new cases in Honiara are from local transmission. They occur in different parts of the city.

“So Covid-19 has infiltrated Honiara, ” Prime Minister Sogavare said.

He said the health team is currently investigating the source of infection of the 48 positive cases.

by Jared Koli