As of 12 noon Friday 19th June, all persons that came through Australia, Vanuatu and Fiji have been discharged from the quarantine facilities.
This was confirmed by the Prime Minister in his weekly address.
Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare says all of those in quarantine have undergone COVID-19 tests and all their results were negative.
Sogavare says as stated in his previous address, Cabinet has agreed on the recommendations by the Oversight Committee on refining the quarantine arrangements for incoming travellers to Solomon Islands, and entry of essential staff employed by the intergovernmental and multilateral organisations and family members of staff employed by these agencies.
“Therefore, Cabinet has agreed to the revised quarantine arrangements proposed by the Oversight Committee which will effectively provide a mandatory in-country quarantine period of 14 days and 21 days in country, including testing as well.
"Cabinet has approved the retrospective application of this new quarantine regime to the all persons currently staying at the institutional quarantine stations. This is being captured in the Emergency Powers (COVID-19 (No.2) (Amendment No.2) Regulations 2020 made by His Excellency, the Governor General and published in the Gazette on Monday 15th 2020”, Sogavare says.
He says the cabinet has also agreed to allow Solomon Islands based intergovernmental and multilateral organisations to bring in their essential Technical Advisor’s and family members of staff employed in these organisations as justified on a case-by-case basis.
The first 24 quarantined persons have been released on Tuesday. Those released are Solomon Island nationals who were repatriated from Vanuatu in May.
The Prime Minister says they have met all requirements and have served the required quarantine period.
Currently two people are in quarantine at the Gizo facility. Sogavare says the government is also seriously looking into the possibility of opening another center at the western border.