Monday, 31 January 2022
A total of 303 more people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the past 24 hours as of 12pm today.
Minister of Health and Medical Services Dr Culwick Togamana released the new figures in his Covid-19 update this evening.
He also informs that in the past 24 hours, three additional Covid deaths are recorded, two at Kilufi hospital in Malaita and one at the Central Field Hospital in Honiara.
“Based on our testing capacity, and reports from the communities, more cases are in our communities and the transmission rate could be more than 500 people infected per day,” Dr Togamana says.
He says with these new cases detected, the country’s official number of total cases now stands at 1486.
The health minister adds, all 303 positive cases were detected in Honiara.
“Tulagi, Central Province Capital, 17 samples have returned a positive test. We are working with our provincial partners to monitor flu-like illness and should need be, swabbing and testing for Covid-19,” Dr Togamana says.
The minister also informs that as of yesterday total of 71 Covid positive patients are hospitalized across the isolation facilities at the National Referral Hospital isolation wards.
In terms of recoveries, the minister informs that "we are now starting to see many asymptomatic Covid-19 patients returning to negative as expected."
"Stats from NRH Emergency Medical Team that tested all post-covid 50 staff showed a very high recovery rate of 86% after day 10 of testing.
"This is welcoming news for the hospital emergency operation center as they look forward to getting the nurses and doctors back into operation," he says.
Dr Togamana adds, there have also been reports of many people in the communities experiencing flu like symptoms and have also started to recover.
However, the Minister says this should not sway "us away from being vigilant and let our guards down with Covid-19 safe measures."
"Let us continue to uphold these measures and get ourselves vaccinated against Covid-19 if you haven't yet," Dr Togamana emphasizes.
Sources: Press Release and Solomon Times Online.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
