Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare says that the student that had tested positive for COVID-19 after being released from quarantine has now tested negative.
Two earlier tests had different results, one positive the other negative. A third test had to be conducted just to be certain. The test which was conducted 11pm on the 27th of January 2021 returned negative on both the GeneXpert machine and the qPCR.
Prime Minister Sogavare explains that what was picked up by the GeneXpert test are in fact remnants of the COVID-19 virus and not one that is active and contagious. The student has since been readmitted and in isolation as a precaution.
Despite the negative result contact tracing, mass awareness and swabs of 30 individuals was conducted upon arrival at the students village in Malaita by health authorities.
After the initial assessment by the health team sent to Malaita the risk of community transmission remains low. Although the results of the swabs taken in the community will be of interest to authorities.