RSIPF Deputy Commissioner meets with Central Province PEOC

The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) Deputy Commissioner Operation Juanita Matanga met with officers of the Central Province Emergency Operation Centre (PEOC) about their preparation in the case of an outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) during her visit to Tulagi on 15 May 2020.

During the meeting held at the Tulagi Police Station, Provincial Secretary, Central Province Chris Siale introduced the PEOC as established and can call on officers of the health sector, the police, local council and volunteers to assist it perform its role.

PEOC is headed by the Provincial Police Commander (PPC) Central Province and above PEOC is the Provincial Disaster Operation Centre (PDOC) chaired by the provincial secretary. Depending on the nature of responses and scale of the situation PDOC will call the Provincial Police Commander, Provincial Secretary, and the Provincial Health Director and may invoke PEOC to start organising the initial response assessment of the nature and degree of effect of the COVID-19 situation

The Central Province PEOC has activated their information gathering system and tools to support the collection and collation of information from sources and share its findings with the National Emergency Operation Centre (PEOC) assessment team on a daily basis.

RSIPF Deputy Commissioner Matanga says, “As part of the COVID -19 Operation Plan to assist the Government’s efforts to prevent any outbreak of the virus in Solomon Islands, RSIPF is assisting the Ministry of Health and Medical Services in conducting a nation-wide awareness programs on the virus to our people in Solomon Islands.”

“I would like to thank the provincial government, health workers, police officers and members of the PEOC in Central Province for working together in the fight against the coronavirus despite some of the challenges encountered so far,” says DC Matanga.