Seven members of the UK Emergency Medical Team currently in Solomon Islands have been discharged from quarantine this week and are ready for provincial deployment as of today 23 March 2022. Three other members are still in quarantine and will join the team once cleared later in the week.

The team comprised foreign critical care doctors and nurses, epidemiologists and risk communication experts who will be supporting COVID-19 response at the provincial level and more importantly with their wealth of knowledge and experience in COVID-19 response and other health pandemics, build capacity of local health workers.

Tuesday this week, the team was greeted in person by the Health Permanent Secretary Mrs. Pauline McNeil and officials from the Solomon Islands Ministry of Health including the National Referral Hospital (NRH) Senior Management Team.

At the brief meeting, Mrs. McNeil highlighted that one of the main focus of health at the moment is to support COVID-19 response at the provincial level.

She said:

The virus is transmitting in our rural communities in the provinces. These areas continue to report increasing number of COVID cases and in recent weeks, COVID-19 related deaths are reportedly from our rural areas. As such much of our efforts and resources have been geared towards further enhancing the capability and capacity of health facilities and our workers serving rural communities.

Therefore, it is indeed a pleasure to have you all in country to support in this regard and sincere thank you for accepting the request for deployment to this part of the world. Your wealth of knowledge and experience in COVID-19 response and other health pandemics will greatly benefit our provincial and rural health workers but also in the long run, enable us to better respond to public health emergencies.

She thanked the British High Commissioner and High Commission team for swiftly mobilizing and deploying the team and acknowledged the ongoing commitment and support of the UK Government at this difficult time of COVID-19 community transmission.

His Excellency Thomas Coward, British High Commissioner to Solomon Islands and Nauru in his brief remarks highlighted that the UK Government is very pleased to support current efforts against COVID-19 community transmission in Solomon Islands.

He said:

It is indeed a pleasure to get the team over in just only two weeks after holding initial discussions with the health officials and very exciting to see them out of quarantine and ready for deployment. We remain committed towards the partnership and friendship between our countries and the support provided is only but one example of this commitment.

He assures, the UK Government will continue to work with the Solomon Islands government and the Ministry of Health and where possible, continue to provide support with the current COVID-19 response.

The team leaves for Malaita today (23 March 2022) where they will operate out from Kilu’ufi Hospital to support other Area Health Centres, Rural Health Clinics and Nurse Aid Posts.

After Malaita, the team will be deployed to Western Province and should there be any urgent need that arise from other provinces, the team will be on standby to support.

The United Kingdom (‘UK’) notes the announced partial removal of U.S. Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminium, and full removal of Section 232 tariffs on derivative articles. While this is a step in the right direction, the UK continues to consider these tariffs incompatible with World Trade Organization rules.

Further to the U.S. partial removal of Section 232 tariffs on UK exports, the UK will suspend the additional tariffs imposed on U.S. goods in response to the Section 232 action. The UK will keep the suspension under review in light of new developments, for instance developments that could deteriorate the situation for UK exports subject to the U.S. Section 232 steel and aluminium measures*.

The UK recalls that, on 30 June 2021, it extended its steel safeguard measure. The UK will continue to defend its domestic steel industry and will, if it considers appropriate, continue to apply its steel safeguard measure including during any period subsequent to the expiry of the current safeguard measure if necessary to prevent or remedy serious injury.

The UK reiterates its commitment to the continued robust application of trade remedy measures where necessary to prevent and remove injury caused by unfair trading practices or serious injury due to unforeseen surges of imports as a result of global excess capacity or otherwise. To that end, the UK has established a robust and efficient trade remedies system that is in line with international best practice and consistent with World Trade Organization rules.

Where ownership or control of a UK steel producing company changes following 22 March 2022, the UK will review foreign acquisitions in line with its domestic law and policy, as appropriate, and in particular it will consider exercising its powers under the National Security and Investment Act 2021.

Furthermore, all UK-based steel producing companies, regardless of ownership, are subject to all relevant aspects of UK law. This includes:

i. Competition law;

ii. Subsidy control law;

iii. Immigration law;

iv. Employment law;

v. Health and safety at work law;

vi. Corporate governance law.

*UK steel exports currently subject to the U.S. 232 steel measures, as well as the U.S. 232 steel-derivatives measures as identified in i) U.S. presidential Proclamation 9705 of March 8, 2018; ii) U.S. presidential Proclamation 9704 of March 8, 2018; iii) U.S. presidential “Proclamation 9980 of January 24, 2020”.