CORONAVIRUS UPDATE by His Excellency President Lionel Aingimea, MP
Wednesday, 12 January 2022
In today's update, His Excellency
President Lionel Aingimea says as the world deals with the Delta
and Omicron variants the New Year hasn't slowed the transmission
rate of COVID-19. The number of cases in Australian major cities
Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne are rapidly escalating with one in
three people testing positive to the virus.
The situation in Brisbane prompted
the decision to temporarily suspend flights out of Australia to
Nauru. The President says flights will however, come to Nauru with
its crew from Brisbane and only take passengers from Nauru to
Brisbane. No-one will disembark at Nauru.
We have travellers from Australia
and Fiji but we first need to have protocols in place to protect us
here in Nauru before we accept passengers from abroad.
Recently, the Nauru Government took
steps to further protect Nauru from COVID. In consultation with the
National COVID Taskforce this includes all incoming passengers
entering pre-travel safe accommodation in Brisbane for three days
prior to check in for their flight to Nauru. They will undergo
COVID checks here and again at airport check in.
Last week two people tested
positive during this process and as all passengers travelled on the
same bus, all the passengers were denied boarding except for one
passenger who was in a separate isolation facility.
This week the National COVID
Taskforce tightened protocols in Brisbane whereby passengers were
required to remain in their rooms. However, when the travellers
were tested a second time, three people returned positive
results.
Even keeping Nauru-bound passengers
together in a group, they are still at risk of exposure as they
enter Brisbane airport as airline check in staff also service other
flights.
Protocols will be reviewed and
reassessed as the situation unfolds.
At the moment the suspension of
flights from Australia will go until the first week of February.
Nauru's front line workers are doing well but more health care
professionals are needed as well as the need to vaccinate our
children before we reopen our borders.
Recruiting health care
professionals is being fast tracked and protocols in place to
ensure they are safe before entering Nauru so to minimise the risk
as much as possible.
Increasing health staff capacity
will better manage the situation should anyone test positive to
COVID.
International flights are suspended
until Nauru receives additional vaccines to enable vaccination of
children 18 years and younger and ensure the hospital is equipped
before borders reopen.
"If one of the two is lacking then
we still cannot reopen flights. We have to tick both boxes. That's
why it's important to vaccinate."
Nauru has achieved 97 per cent
vaccination of the adult population (18 year and over) but the
younger population, which represents 40 per cent, have not received
one dose.
"These are our children.
"It's not good that they're
[children] exposed and nothing being done to vaccinate them, yet
allow travellers into Nauru."
Nauru Public Health is still
expecting the Pfizer vaccine, facilitated through UNICEF, to
vaccinate the under 18 year olds, as well as offer booster shots
for the adult population.
"It wouldn't be right to bring in
possible COVID-infected people and we're not prepared."
The President says science dictates
that booster shots are good for the immune system bringing back up
the level of protection to fight the virus.
President Lionel Aingimea thanks
Australia for its ongoing and strong support during the pandemic;
adding it rings true when Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison
refers to the "Pacific Family".
"They've [Australia] been behind
us; they've been side-by-side with us in our battle against
COVID."
Australia funded most of our
vaccinations including the last batch of 1,000 AstraZeneca
vaccines. The next consignment, facilitated through UNICEF, is also
funded by Australia.
"Australia has offered us much
assistance and help all the way."
The Government is keeping in touch
with Nauruans abroad, especially where the large populations are
and where we have embassies, most especially those in Australia and
Fiji where COVID is rapidly spreading.
Unfortunately, there are Nauruans
in Fiji and Australia that have contracted COVID.
The rapid spread of COVID has
reached the point where it is unavoidable if you are in a place
where COVID is spreading.
President Aingimea reiterates that
one in three people will get COVID. "That's the statistics."
COVID numbers continue to rise and
those people living in those places must be extra careful.
President Aingimea urges Nauruans
to stay strong and to place our trust in the Lord. Although Nauru
is COVID-free, the government, Taskforce and front line workers are
working hard and endeavouring to keep Nauru safe.