18 Oct 2020

Solomons students in Philippines given ultimatum for Covid-19 screening

2:14 pm on 18 October 2020

Solomon Islands students stranded in the Philippines have been told to comply with Covid-19 screening or organise their own repatriation.

This comes after four more students in Manila tested positive for Covid-19 on Thursday, bringing the total number of Solomon Islands students infected by the coronavirus there to 22.

Solomon Islands PM, Manasseh Sogavare, has announced the country's first Covid case

Solomon Islands prime minister Manasseh Sogavare announcing the country's first case of Covid-19, 3 October 2020. Photo: SIG

All repatriation flights to Solomon Islands have been suspended because of an outbreak in managed quarantine in Honiara.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare warned students in the Philippines, where the Honiara cases came from, to move into hotels arranged for pre-screening if they want to board when the flights resume.

"I implore parents or guardians of the students who are still living outside of the government arranged hotels in Manila to move to the hotels within the next 48 hours," Sogavare said.

"Failure to do this will mean that any student who had not shifted to the government arranged accommodation will be responsible for their own repatriation."