Sourcing SI media today, Wednesday, the following news articles were seen as published, and I quote.
Health Minister Dr. Culwick Togamana says the country has registered 290 new cases of COVID-19.
This includes 12 new cases in Bellona, Rennell Bellona province, where community transmission is now confirmed, and further testing are being undertaken.
The update was from the Health Minister's daily COVID-19 situation report on the national broadcaster, SIBC.
Of the 290 cases, 183 are from the past 24 hours with 25 registered in Honiara, 27 in Malaita, 5 in Guadalcanal, 19 in Central, 37 in West, 8 in Choiseul, 50 in Makira, and 12 in Bellona.
Of the 290 cases, 107 are from samples collected previously and now included in today’s count. Of the 107 cases, 64 are in Isabel, 26 in Malaita, and 17 in Guadalcanal.
The Health Minister says that in Bellona, where new cases have been detected, the 12 positive cases are from 22 samples.
With a high percentage returning positive the Health Minister says community transmission is now present in Bellona. He says more testing will be conducted.
The cumulative total positive COVID-19 cases in the country now stand at 7,258. Only Temotu province remains COVID-19 free to date.
Source – Solomon Times Online.
Caucus Endorses New Covid-19 Policy Framework
Caucus has recently endorsed the policy framework to guide the country’s efforts against the Community Transmission of Covid-19.
This revelation was made by the Chief of Staff in the Prime Minister’s Office when making his presentation during a talkback show over the national broadcaster over the weekend.
Robson Djokovic said that details of the new policy framework will be forthcoming over the coming days.
He however said that Cabinet is continuing its deliberation over the final details of the community transmission policy response plan which, once completed, forms the basis of our response plan going forward.
“For clarification purposes, the redirection together with the economic sustenance component of the policy still remains intact.
“The government passed the redirection policy last year which focused mostly on the productive and the resource sectors because of the economic downturn resulting from the pandemic,” Djokovic said.
He further added that these are challenging times and the world as a whole is trying to rebound from the impacts of Covid-19 and Solomon Island is not exempt from such global challenges.
“Because of our susceptibility to economic shocks, we have to be extra careful and strategic about how we manage Covid-19 community transmission in the country and hence, the measures developed in the new policy are aimed at striking a balance in our economic priorities whilst simultaneously managing the community transmission of Covid-19,” the Chief of Staff said.
He went on to say that the policy is focused on managing, limiting and controlling the spread of the virus in our communities.
Mr. Djokovic however admitted that even with all the measures and protocols that have been taken in other countries, the virus continue to spread despite the declining numbers.
“In the Solomon Island’s context, we are focusing on managing community transmission so we can have the ability to be able to protect our people by providing proper information, guidance and medical services and health care to subdue and contain the impacts that the virus is having on our country and people,” he said.
He says the previous policy was basically focused on keeping the virus out from entering our communities where we successfully managed up until early this year.
“Because the virus is now in the country, a policy shift is needed from keeping the virus out to managing, the transmission within the country and in so doing, protecting our vulnerable citizens” Mr. Djokovic said.
Vulnerable population are those that have pre-existing medical conditions such as hypertension (high blood), asthma, and diabetes amongst others.
The new policy framework is aimed at protecting this group of people because they are most at risk and susceptible to the virus.
He mentioned that indicative data based on positive cases to date has shown that Solomon Island has some level of resilience to the virus.
“This means that our immune system has some form of natural resilience to the virus and our health experts are researching and hard at work behind the scenes, looking into this,” he said.
Source – Solomon Times Online
“There Are No Restrictions on Media Freedom,” Says Head of Government Media
The local media has been given heaps of information and facts about Covid-19 and other relevant issues to write stories from.
Director of Government Communication Unit (GCU), George Herming made the clarification in response to a call by the Media Association of Solomon Islands (MASI) on government to allow media to do its work.
Mr.Herming said there is no restriction on media freedom as claimed by MASI President Georgina Kekea accusing the Government of providing lack of exemption to the local media.
“Newspapers, radio stations and online news outlets are doing pretty fine during the covid-19 situation over the last two years.
“The Government has been coming out with lots of information almost every week live on radio and online streaming through the Prime Minister’s addresses, the Oversight and Health Committee Radio Talk Back Shows and now the daily updates by the Minister of Health since the covid-19 outbreak early this year. We do not know when the Government withheld information from the media and public,” Mr. Herming said.
He said the bulk of information shared through these various platforms and Press Releases from Government authorities carried facts and relevant information that the mainstream media can pick from and write stories that are suitable for their audiences and readers.
Mr. Herming further advised the mainstream media to use the skills obtained from past training programmes organised by MASI to dig up and write stories for their organisations.
“To say the Government is blocking the media is unjustified and unfair because it is in the best interest of the Government to aware the nation as much as possible, especially, during this time of hardship exacerbated by Covid-19,” Mr. Herming said.
Mr. Herming added that journalists should be aware that there are protocols guiding the work of the media during a crisis or disaster situation which is important to protect and guide operations including public safety and the safety of journalists.
“Only untrained journalists can ignore standard operating procedures or protocols that are put in place to ensure operations are carried out in a proper and smooth manner,” Mr. Herming said.
The Director further clarified that the Government and the media both needs each other in a democracy and the bulk of information that the Government through its responsible agencies continue to provide is part of that process.
“MASI should simply do a news quantity survey to ascertain that since the pandemic almost 70 percent of daily news is government related which indicated that Government is doing its best to inform the country and its clients through the media,” Mr. Herming said.
Source: GCU
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
