Solomon Islands recorded its first coronavirus case on Saturday, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare announced.

The person who got infected is a student who had just returned from the Philippines. He had earlier tested negative three times before departing for the Solomon Islands.

He has now tested positive and has been kept in isolation with two other immediate contacts. The infected student was asymptomatic. The health workers also being tested now.

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“The planning, preparation, simulation and exercises have not been in vain and the government is confident of its capacity to respond, contain and manage the situation to ensure that the safety and well-being of the public is maintained,” Sogavare said.

The infected man was one out of 400 Solomon Islands nationals stranded in the Philippines after borders were closed and was brought back home on one of the three repatriation flights that the government had planned.

“My government is well aware of the risks involved in repatriating our students from the Philippines. We are also aware that keeping our children in the Philippines exposes them to even higher risks.

“As a responsible government, we cannot close our eyes to the plight of our children and bringing them home was the humane thing to do,” he said.