COVID19 update-Monday25May2020
REPUBLIC
OF NAURU
Government
Information Office
CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
by
His
Excellency President Lionel Aingimea
Monday, 25
May 2020
Both testing machines at the RoN
Hospital have completed their validation process testing for
coronavirus with 100 per cent match on samples. President Lionel
Aingimea says this means all tests done on positive and negative
samples were all correct.
The President strongly emphasised that
no-one on island is positive for the virus. The positive samples
used in the validation testing process were brought in from
overseas and contained in a safe enclosure until validation testing
for the machines was carried out. All those samples are harmless
and since been removed for the proper testing on crew and
quarantine residents which commenced at the weekend.
The GeneXpert machine commenced
testing on the ship's crew last weekend with all results returned
negative, enabling the Neptune cargo vessel Capitaine Quiros to
commence cargo off-loading.
The Elite Genius machine commenced
testing today for those in quarantine at the Menen Hotel and
Canstruct's Anibare Village. If all samples are negative, then
everyone in quarantine can be discharged ahead of the prescribed
two weeks.
The President stressed that lab
testing can quickly identify with accuracy whether a person has the
virus or not. Quarantine time is used to allow time for the
virus to incubate and show itself through signs and symptoms
although there is no 100 per cent assurance that a person does or
does not have the virus; whereas, lab testing is
accurate.
Fifty shipping containers were
unloaded on Saturday 23 May. The reefers (cool containers) were
cleared by customs first to enable frozen goods and other
perishables to be made available earlier.
Cargo will continue unloading
simultaneously with the fuel tanker discharging.
All crew on the cargo ship, fuel
tanker, and tug boat have all been tested and returned negative
results.
In air travel movements - there will
be five freighter flights this week starting tomorrow, to ensure
essentials are well stocked.
Another passenger flight is due in
this Friday 29 May from Brisbane - all passengers will go through
the usual procedure of quarantine and swab testing.
Meanwhile, the Government is still in
discussions with the Fiji government on the status of the
repatriation flight. While two Nauruans were successfully
repatriated from Kiribati via Brisbane, Dr Layana Menke's
internship program in Kiribati has recommenced and she has since
opted to remain in Kiribati to complete her internship.
There will be no repatriation of
Nauruan patients in India as the country remains in lockdown.
Nauruans there are well and being looked after and the Government
is in close communications with Honorary-Consul Bhalla in regards
to their well-being.
President Aingimea says this
coronavirus pandemic is a long fight, with reports from around the
world suggesting it could go for as long as two years.
The President urges that we stay
strong in our prayers for Nauru and for other countries that are
doing it tough.
The World Health Organisation reports
global confirmed cases have risen to over five million with more
than 337,000 deaths. Nauru remains coronavirus free.
ENDS///