As confirmed by the Prime Minister this morning (11th November), Vanuatu now has its first COVID-19 case in quarantine. All of the signs are that the systems are working – the individual has been picked up by the testing regime, and is now being transferred safely to the isolation facilities at Vila Central Hospital. This is a positive outcome, and shows that Vanuatu is in a good position to deal with this case. We would like to congratulate the NDMO and Ministry of Health for their work in developing and implementing these systems, and for keeping Vanuatu safe.
At the moment we are now in “Scenario 2a – Confirmed Cases in Quarantine (Border)”. As per Government guidelines, this means the following:
- There are no restrictions on schools, workplaces, public, or private gatherings
- Maintenance of handwashing stations
- Preparation of response plans
- Follow hygiene and prevention measures
We urge all business houses to do the following:
- Ensure proper enforcement of hand washing and other measures. There has been a noticeable decline in this over the past six months, and we should immediately return to the handwashing levels seen in April
- Communicate clearly to all employees what this means, including that all of the systems are operating as they should be, and that there is no need to panic
- Stay up to date with all Government plans, and follow closely all public advice
- Develop response plans for if we move to Scenario 2b or Scenario 3 (see Covid-19 website)
The Government will continue to update its resources through www.covid19.gov.vu, whilst the VCCI and VBRC will continue to communicate to all members any relevant information. Follow our Facebook page or mailing list for all updates. We will be resending all of our ‘COVID-19 Safe Business Operations in Vanuatu’ resources shortly. The VCCI will also be running trainings on this tomorrow and Friday (12th and 13th November). Further details will follow.
