BY LESLEY FOINAGWA
IN WEST KWAIO, MALAITA
MORE than 100 families in ward 28 Sulangasina, West Kwaio in Malaita province have relocated a few Kilometres inland in the forest amongst the mountains in the Kwaio region.
The main purpose of the move was to escape the onslaught of the COVID-19 outbreak and community transmission in the country some 3 weeks ago.
Despite stating that the move was temporary, it is understood that it will be sometime before those people moved back to the main villages.
According to Vincent Sudafi, who also escaped to the bushes with his family, the increasing positive COVID-19 cases registered through community transmission in Honiara and Malaita Province has sparked fear amongst the local people causing them to make up their mind that temporarily relocating inland is the only option to stay away from the virus.
“This is for the safety of our families. We have to move inland – a few Kilometres in the mountains and build a temporary house. We’ll stay here until such a time when the situation returns to normal – if it ever does return to normal.
“The COVID-19 situation was described time and again as a war – that is what makes people here to panic and decided to move into the forest.”
Mr. Sudafi also added that some of the people have refused to be vaccinated so they see the move as the right option to prevent the virus from reaching them.
He said people who traveled to Auki to do marketing or shopping might be the ones who will bring the virus to the community and they don’t want to get infected with it.
