Travellers into non-containment areas within and out of Viti Levu will be required to take pre-departure swab tests as the Fijian Government moves to reduce the spread of coronavirus infections after 166 new cases were recorded today and another COVID-19 death.
Travel conditions has to be COVID-safe, Permanent Secretary for Health Dr James Fong said.
“As expected we are seeing a few more cases arising in the Lami area. The current priority is therefore to prevent the export of cases into the other non-containment zones. As such any request to move outside of the Central Division to other areas of Viti Levu and from Viti Levu to Vanua Levu and the Maritime zone needs to be strictly regulated. Pre-departure swab tests and Quarantine capability are being expanded and strengthened to reduce the risk of spread within and beyond Viti Levu.”
The Ministry of Health did not provide a breakdown of today’s cases only saying that the transmission is “broad throughout the Central Division”, and as such will release heat maps to denote case distribution, including those reported in the Western Division.
Fiji also recorded its fifth COVID19 death in the current outbreak after a 77-year-old man “who was bedridden at home for several months” died.
“He was diagnosed as COVID-19 positive by the CWM screening team. While he had pre-existing medical conditions, based on available clinical data the consensus is that this represents a COVID-death. The family has been counselled and further containment measures have been activated.”
The death is also Fiji’s seventh COVID-19 death overall since 2020. Eight other COVID-19 positive patients died during the current outbreak, but their deaths were attributed to pre-existing illnesses that they were admitted to the hospital for.
