The Falkland Islands government has reviewed and emphasized the Declaration of Emergency restriction movements, under regulations 11 and 12, which remain in full force, particularly referred to MPC and dependencies access, and possible essential travel.
With an economy growing sustainedly 3,9% annually, full employment, and with ambitious public works and housing projects in the books, the ongoing problem of the lack of tradespeople in the Falkland Islands has become more evident and challenging. Penguin News invited MLA Barry Elsby to comment on the situation in an interview this week.
The Falkland Islands Government, FIG, announced on Tuesday, February 9 the latest Covid-19 swabbing results which indicate that the total number of positive tests, since 3 April 2020, reached 53, of which 15 continue to be currently positive, all under quarantine, with an only person in the hospital.
The Falkland Islands Government Executive Council, ExCo, has agreed to the making and publication of a Declaration to bring into force regulations 11 (restrictions on movement) and 12 (restrictions on movement – specified areas) in order to ‘prevent, protect against, delay or otherwise control the incidence or transmission of coronavirus in the Falkland Islands.’ The regulations form part of the Infectious Diseases Control (Coronavirus) (No 2) Regulations.
As the first batch of Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines have arrived in the Falkland Islands, the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) announced it will start the Covid-19 vaccination programme on 8 February. “We plan to administer the first dose for eligible people in a mass vaccination program at the FIDF Hall, with visits out to West Falkland and the Outer Islands. If you live in Camp on East Falkland it would be very helpful if you could travel into Stanley as we will happily vaccinate you whenever you arrive and when the vaccination centre is open,” FIG said on Wednesday in a Press Release.
The Falkland Islands government issued a release on Tuesday announcing the “clean” conditions vessels entering territorial waters for the 2021 fishing season must meet, basically a minimum of two weeks quarantining at sea, no Covid-19 cases on board, and no crew members with Covid-19 symptoms.
The government of the Falkland Islands and officials from Mount Pleasant Complex held on Sunday an extraordinary meeting and decided that access to the Complex will remain restricted for the next fourteen days given the sanitary situation at MPC.
The Falkland Islands Government confirmed on Thursday that a military medic involved in quarantine surveillance swabbing has tested positive for Covid-19 as a result of displaying symptoms.
The Falkland Islands Government has offered an update of Covid-19 swabbing results as of Tuesday 26 January, indicating that of 6,685 processed tests, seven are currently positive, completing quarantine, but none of them has required hospital admission.
The Falkland Islands government and local industry have given reassurances following cases of Covid-19 identified on Loligo fishing ships due to the Falklands from Galicia. Penguin News investigated reports of positive cases on vessels bound for the Islands and asked for comment from FIG, who responded in writing: