PM: SPECIAL NATION WIDE ADDRESS:

SPECIAL NATIONWIDE ADDRESS

HON PRIME MINISTER MANASSEH SOGAVARE, MP.

                                  29. 01. 2022.

Fellow Solomon Islanders, listening in throughout the country and overseas, thank you for joining me for a brief national address this evening.

Fellow citizens, we are seeing the rapid spread of community transmission of COVID-19 in Honiara, and it is starting to spread to other provinces.

The Oversight Committee is meeting regularly to monitor and address the current situation. The Committee is also working with its provincial arms, the respective PDOCs to plan the despatch of essential cargos to provinces in a safe manner.

Partial lifting of the Lockdown of the Honiara Emergency Zone and Implementation of Curfew hours

Fellow citizens, the Cabinet deliberated on the oversight Committee’s recommendation to consider extending the lockdown of the Honiara Emergency Zone for three additional days this afternoon.

Fellow citizens, we are seeing the rapid spread of community transmission of COVID-19 in Honiara, and it is starting to spread to other provinces.

The Oversight Committee is meeting regularly to monitor and address the current situation. The Committee is also working with its provincial arms, the respective PDOCs to plan the despatch of essential cargos to provinces in a safe manner.

Partial lifting of the Lockdown of the Honiara Emergency Zone and Implementation of Curfew hours

Fellow citizens, the Cabinet deliberated on the oversight Committee’s recommendation to consider extending the lockdown of the Honiara Emergency Zone for three additional days this afternoon.

The Cabinet has decided to implement a partial lockdown in the Honiara Emergency Zone to be supplemented with a curfew hour as follows:

1.The current Lockdown of the Honiara Emergency Zone is extended from 6pm this evening, Saturday 29th January 2022 to 9 am tomorrow morning, Sunday 30th January 2022

2.From 9 am on 30th January 2022, the Honiara Emergency Zone Boundary will remain on hard lockdown until it is revoked. No one is allowed to leave the Honiara Emergency Zone, and no one is allowed to enter unless exempted.

3.Form 9 am on 30th January 2022 new Curfew hours will be implemented between 3pm each afternoon and lifted at 9am the next morning on a daily basis until it is revoked.

4.Only fully vaccinated people are allowed to move around freely between 9am and 3 pm each day. Businesses can open between 9am and 3pm each day.

Zone to be supplemented with a curfew hour as follows:

1.The current Lockdown of the Honiara Emergency Zone is extended from 6pm this evening, Saturday 29th January 2022 to 9 am tomorrow morning, Sunday 30th January 2022

2.From 9 am on 30th January 2022, the Honiara Emergency Zone Boundary will remain on hard lockdown until it is revoked. No one is allowed to leave the Honiara Emergency Zone, and no one is allowed to enter unless exempted.

3.Form 9 am on 30th January 2022 new Curfew hours will be implemented between 3pm each afternoon and lifted at 9am the next morning on a daily basis until it is revoked.

4.Only fully vaccinated people are allowed to move around freely between 9am and 3 pm each day. Businesses can open between 9am and 3pm each day.

5.The lockdown in Lord Howe Community and Berns Creek Community remain in force until they are revoked.

This new arrangement will be reviewed regularly to ensure there is a balance between the health requirements and our economy.

Fellow residents in the Honiara Emergency Zone, the Livelihood Committee of the Oversight Committee has adequate food supplies for all households in the Emergency zone.

Their ability to distribute the food quickly has been hampered by many of the volunteers testing positive for COVID-19. The Livelihood Committee will prioritise delivery of the food packs to all households in all settlements around Honiara and outside Honiara in the Emergency Zone tomorrow and onward.

in force until they are revoked.

This new arrangement will be reviewed regularly to ensure there is a balance between the health requirements and our economy.

Fellow residents in the Honiara Emergency Zone, the Livelihood Committee of the Oversight Committee has adequate food supplies for all households in the Emergency zone.

Their ability to distribute the food quickly has been hampered by many of the volunteers testing positive for COVID-19. The Livelihood Committee will prioritise delivery of the food packs to all households in all settlements around Honiara and outside Honiara in the Emergency Zone tomorrow and onward.

Please bear with is. Every single household will be provided with food packs. No household will be left out.

I call for about forty volunteers to assist the Livelihood Committee to sort and distribute the food packs to all households. The volunteers must test negative for COVID-19 on arrival at the Ministry of Agriculture which is just opposite the St Johns School and close to the SIBC building.

Fellow residents in Honiara, the current full lockdown will be lifted at 9am tomorrow morning.

The lockdown of the Honiara Emergency Zone boundary will remain in force until it is revoked.

Curfew hours will be introduced inside the Honiara Emergency Zone between 3pm each day until 9am the next morning every day until it is revoked.

People who are fully vaccinated are allowed to move around between 9am and 3pm each day.

Businesses can open between 9 am and 3 pm each day.

I ask all residents in the Emergency Zone to please remain home and limit movement into the city. Please wait for the food to be delivered to your homes in the next 2 days.

The food supply provided to each home is adequate to cover between 5 – 7 days for each household.

each day until 9am the next morning every day until it is revoked.

People who are fully vaccinated are allowed to move around between 9am and 3pm each day.

Businesses can open between 9 am and 3 pm each day.

I ask all residents in the Emergency Zone to please remain home and limit movement into the city. Please wait for the food to be delivered to your homes in the next 2 days. The food supply provided to each home is adequate to cover between 5 – 7 days for each household.

Fellow citizens, let us continue to put our faith in our heavenly father to provide for us and protect us all as we move forward together in our resolve to fight COVID-19 in our country.

I close with a quote from the Book of Romans Chapter 8 verse 31, and I quote ….

“If God is with us, who can be against us?” 

To God be the Glory, Great things He has done.

We are one people, we are one nation, we are Solomon Islands.

IUMI TUGEDA AGAINST COVID-19.