A woman who was admitted at the Labasa Hospital yesterday is being kept in isolation as a precaution while she is being tested for the novel coronavirus.
The Ministry of Health said it would continue to remain on high alert and treat every case as a priority.
“It is expected that with time the Ministry will investigate more persons with relevant travel history and symptoms related to COVID-19. This should not alarm the country but be an indication of a high level of alertness in response to the global outbreak,” a government statement said.
The patient who is 37 years old returned from Narita, Japan on Saturday, February 15 and presented with respiratory symptoms.
Samples from tests for influenza conducted on the patient was sent to the WHO reference laboratory in Melbourne, Victoria.
Symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to other respiratory illness including colds and influenza.
The Ministry reaffirmed there were no confirmed cases of the disease in Fiji and have asked that the public only rely on credible sources of information.
Read more information about the COVID-19