NATIONAL ADDRESS
NATIONAL
ADDRESS
His Excellency President Lionel
Rouwen Aingimea, MP
on the global health issue, the
Coronavirus pandemic
Saturday, 15 March
2020
Good evening Nauruans and all
people on Nauru.
Recently, the World
Health Organisation declared the
Coronavirus to be pandemic. What this
means is that the Coronavirus is now a global health
issue.
Your Government has taken every
step possible to ensure the protection of its people against
Coronavirus.
We are setting up a quarantine area
at public health. You will see lots of work happening there. We
have toured certain areas at topside to see if there are places
there feasible for quarantine
purposes.
We have put in body scanners at the
airport and we thank Taiwan and Malaysia for its support in this.
We also thank Australia for assisting us in our preparation to meet
the threat of Coronavirus.
Plans have been stood up to ensure
that Government agencies are sufficiently equipped and staffed to
deal with any potential case of Coronavirus. Leading these efforts
is the Department of Health, which has put into effect all measures
necessary for our safety.
Coronavirus is an illness that
attacks the respiratory system and has flu-like symptoms including
coughing and fever. It is transmissible from person to person and
can be severe for vulnerable individuals including the elderly and
individuals with pre-existing or underlying chronic illnesses such
as severe asthma, uncontrolled diabetes, acute hypertension and
heart disease. Individuals with such conditions should take
precautions and ensure that they continue their routine
medication.
Let us not panic as we face this
global health crisis. We must prepare ourselves and do what is
necessary to weather the onset and impact of this pandemic. Let me
assure you there is no confirmed Coronavirus case on Nauru as we
speak and it is your Governments objective to ensure a healthy
Nauru that is free of Coronavirus. Let me stress that we do not
have coronavirus on island. We are doing all that is necessary to
ensure we remain free and if it does come onto our shores we are
ready to meet it and contain it.
Your Government assures you that
food and medical supplies are sufficient and that there is no
disruption to air and sea freight. Additional support and resources
have been given to the Government agencies tasked with combating
COVID-19, and the public is asked to remain vigilant and proactive
in efforts to protect yourself and your families from contracting
this disease. This can be done through simple hygiene practices
such as hand washing with soap, using hand sanitisers and keeping
your home environment clean. The public should seek further
information or report suspected symptoms to the RON Hospital.
Preparation across the community is crucial to managing the spread
and impact of Coronavirus.
Government has issued a two-week
travel restriction for all Government and SOE
officials.
We are not closing our borders, nor
are we stopping flights but flights will change in the coming week
and we ask that you contact Nauru Airlines from Monday
16th March
onwards.
I would like to ask those who are
travelling overseas to please be mindful of the places they are
visiting and if possible not go at
all.
Our students overseas are safe. We
are in close contact with the governments of the countries of where
our students are.
We continue to monitor the global
situation and are working with the World Health Organisation in
ensuring that steps taken are effective. Travel into Nauru has been
monitored by the Department of Health and border security agencies
with the installation and operation of a thermal image scanner.
Significant increases have been made in the number of clinical and
health staff allocated to the RON Hospital with a 24 hours, 7 days
a week roster established to deal with Coronavirus
issues.
I know that this pandemic has
caused concern and fear amongst our people. It is still early days
and the path through this pandemic will see many phases. However,
let me reassure you, your Government stands ready to protect its
people. We will continue to monitor the situation and respond
accordingly. We will share important information and updates
through various media platforms and community
engagement.
We must work together as a nation
to face this problem and ask all people on Nauru to help and
assist.
Most importantly, let us not forget
that God Almighty remains our Saviour and Protector. It is through
our prayers, faith and trust in God that we as a nation will
overcome this pandemic. God Bless you, and God Bless the Republic
of Nauru.
ENDS///