Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has directed the Government’s Covid-19 Oversight Committee to consider imposing travel restrictions from very high-risk countries in view of the current worsening global covid-19 situation.
This, he said during his weekly national address “is necessary to ensure we protect our country from this worsening pandemic”.
The world is experiencing a new wave of COVID-19 infection that is worse than before. The highest daily total of new COVID-19 infection has reached 897,839 cases in 24 hours on April 24, just 2 days ago.
India recorded its highest daily cases yesterday at 354,531 cases. The day before they registered 345,147 new cases of COVID-19. In-fact, in the 3 days from 23 to 25 April 2021, India recorded 1,048,991 new cases of COVID-19. These numbers are staggering.
Other countries in South America, Europe, the United States and closer to home, in Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, and South Korea are also experiencing a resurgence of COVID-19 infections.
Japan has declared its third State of Emergency last Friday with tougher restrictions until 11 May 2021.
In the region, Sogavare said the Government is watching the daily rise in COVID-19 cases in PNG very closely.
In the 12 days from 12 to 24 April, PNG recorded 2,066 cases of which about 58 cases were from Bougainville.
“I highlight these global and regional figures because the risk of getting more cases of COVID-19 in Solomon Islands is much higher now than at any other time before,” he said.
The Prime Minister repeated his call on residents at the western border to remain extremely careful.
“Please do not cross the border to Bougainville. Please do not allow anyone from Bougainville to cross over to our side of the border,” Sogavare said.
Source: GCU Media Release