Choiseul Province now has a quarantine site, which comes as a huge relief to people in the area.
Supizae Island, a resort close to the provincial capital Taro, was refurbished, and repurposed into a quarantine facility. The quarantine site consists of three bungalows and can accommodate up to six people at any one time.
The quarantine site is prepared as a standalone site in the event of an emergency. Choiseul forms part of the western boarder with Bougainville, who, quite recently, recorded a positive COVID-19 case in their community.
It is difficult to know the current COVID-19 status in Bougainville since testing is not widely conducted within their communities.
The acting health Director for Choiseul province, Walter Timba, told Solomon Times Online that the quarantine site has always been a priority for Choiseul given its proximity to Bougainville.
"I am very pleased that we now have our quarantine site, this is very important in our fight against COVID-19.
"I would like to thank the health ministry and the disaster management office for taking the lead and initiating the work to make this possible," Walter said.
Jesse Putan'oe, one of the caretaker managers at the Supizae Beach Lodge said that he is very happy that they can give back to the province and community in its efforts to keep COVID-19 at bay.
"I choose to give this site to be a quarantine site because I care about the health of our people here in Choiseul province. Health of everyone is important and my family is proud to be part of this”, he said.