SIX LOCAL STUDENTS MISSED OUT TO BOARD TODAY’S REPATRIATION FLIGHT FROM. PHILIPPINE

Six local students studying in the Philippines have failed to board the government’s repatriation flight scheduled for today.

The flight was expected to arrive this evening, with a total of  133 local students.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare said, this is a serious matter and the government is investigating the cause of their absence.

“This is extremely inconsiderate and selfish of the students. We will investigate this. If these students knowingly decided not to check-in today, we may exclude them from the government’s repatriation service.”

He added, if that is the case, they have to leave the government’s quarantine services in the Philippines and find their way home.

Meanwhile, Mr. Sogavare updated, 120 students will be repatriated from Papua New Guinea, including 39 students from Manilla to arrive on December 12th, 2020.

Three Fiji Repatriation flights for graduating students are set for December 29th and 30th 2020 and January 9th, 2021.   

He added, Sixteen foreign Nationals have been brought into the country last week on December 4th and a further sixteen will arrive on December 11th. 

The foreign nationals are currently under quarantine including four local flight crew members. 

The country is expecting around 500 people -to be in quarantine centers by next week.

“This huge number of people has put a lot of pressure on our health system in responding to COVID-19.”

Currently, the country has only five positive cases of COVID-19 and are still in isolation.

by Charley Piringi