Fiji’s Ministry of Health has not ruled out possible community transmission, introducing measures that include a 14-day lockdown and restricted movement between villages within the containment area following the death of an elderly woman on the island who later tested positive.
“Given the clinical details of the case, and link to persons known to have illegally travelled between Suva and Kadavu, we have to assume there is community transmission on the island,” Dr Fong said. “To help with our public health containment measures we are suspending shipping services to Kadavu for a week starting today (19th of August to the 26th of August 2021). “
“There will also be a 14-day containment zone established for the Gasele Nursing Zone in Kadavu. This is to localize the disease to the nursing zone area for one incubation period of 14 days and to monitor incidence and disease trends in the lockdown area within this period.”
The following are measures that will occur within the containment zone:
1. Movement between the 7 villages in the containment zone is to be restricted to reduce further spread
2. Home quarantine of the primary contacts will be enforced
3. Contact tracing of primary contacts and secondary contacts will continue
4. The identification and monitoring of vulnerable persons will be initiated and strengthened
5. Community engagement program will be escalated to foster covid safe behaviour with a specific focus on protecting vulnerable persons
6. Continue vaccination education and rollout will be escalated and targeted to vulnerable persons
“Further to this, a clinical scouting team will be deployed over the weekend to Vunisea to map out a plan to escalate clinical care capability and strengthen care access, especially to the identified vulnerable persons. “
The Ministry of Health and Medical Services reiterates its call for maritime islanders to not engage in unauthorised travel to and from Viti Levu.
“All our current protocols to regulate domestic movements must be adhered to in order to prevent the spread of the virus beyond Viti Levu. Furthermore, we repeat our call to all village leaders and elders to support our current efforts to protect our maritime islands and to immediately report any suspicious movements into your community.”
