The Thirteenth Peleliu State Legislature passed unanimously Resolution 13-14-20 seeking postponement of the planned United States military exercise KOA MOANA 2020 until the COVID-19 pandemic “level off and improve”.
The resolution states that with the escalating cases around the world and with United States with 2 million confirmed cases and over 112,000 deaths, Peleliu legislature urged that the visit be postponed.
The Marine Corps exercise is planned for July 25 to August 18, 2020. The operation named KOA MOANA 2020 will bring 100 marines to Peleliu. Sixty-nine will be on Peleliu while 31 will remain on the ship USNS City of Bismark.
According to a member of the NEC, the marines who will be on Peleliu will be quarantined at Peleliu Airport and while there, they will do the repair of the Peleliu airport, construct Peleliu medical dispensary living quarters and provide protective structure for Peleliu Elementary School water catchments with no interactions with Peleliu residents.
The marines who comes from Camp Pendleton, California will be tested at the Camp before they leave, tested while on the ship enroute and tested when they arrive and tested again at the end of their 14 days quarantine.
Peleliu Speaker EufrasiaRemeliik said they had a meeting with the Office of the President and will have another one this week. “At least, they must follow the quarantine procedures in place, that is what we ask of them,” she added on a phone interview with Island Times.
The resolution was sent to Minister of State Faustina Rehuher-Marugg and to the United States Ambassador John Hennessey-Niland and Governor TemmyShmull of Peleliu State.