Press Release

Date: August 13^th, 2020

Bula Vinaka.

Today we are announcing one new border quarantine case of COVID-19. The patient is a 61-year-old gentleman. He is a  repatriating Fijian citizen who traveled to Fiji from Sacramento, California in the United States. He transited through Auckland and arrived in Fiji on Thursday. The 6th of August. After developing COVID-like symptoms while in a government-designated border quarantine facility, he was tested and confirmed positive for the virus. He has since been admitted to the isolation ward at Nadi Hospital where remains in stable condition.

This is our tenth border quarantine case reported since July 6th. All of these patients are returning Fijian citizens who contracted the virus while overseas. As we’ve previously announced, one of those patients has sadly passed away, and two have since recovered. Currently, that makes for seven active border quarantine cases. All active cases are currently in stable condition and will be discharged in accordance with the current Ministry of Health COVID-19 case discharge protocols. These discharge protocols are in accordance with internationally accepted best practice guidelines.

It has now been 117days since the last case of COVID-19 in Fiji was reported outside a border quarantine facility. As with previous border quarantine cases, this gentleman was under strict quarantine conditions from the time the flight into Nadi landed, which includes the mandated 14-day quarantine at a government-designated quarantine facility supervised by the Republic of Fiji Military Forces and the Ministry of Health and Medical Services. As long as our border quarantine and infection prevention control protocols are upheld there is no risk to the Fijian public from this new border quarantine case.

I’d also like to address the availability of COVID-19 testing in Fiji. COVID tests in Fiji which are conducted for medical purposes are completely free. Our returning citizens in quarantine are all tested for free. The close contacts of past cases were all tested for free. Fijians who meet our medical testing criteria ––such as those displaying COVID-like symptoms ––are all tested for free. Our healthcare staff are regularly tested for free as well.

A recent government gazette announced a $300 fee can be charged for COVID-19tests. However, this will be applied only in certain circumstances, not across the board. For example, for non-citizens entering the country, along with people who want to travel overseas but need to be tested as a requirement for entry into other countries. This is generally the practice around the world. In fact, Fiji’s tests are actually relatively affordable. This schedule for COVID-19tests from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services is no different from the other tests and services offered by the Ministry under the Schedule of Fees and Charges.

Thank you.

As we announced on the 20 th of July, we have so far confirmed nine cases of COVID-19 among a number of our citizens who were repatriated from India on the 1 st of July. All of these cases are “border quarantine cases”,  meaning they have had zero interaction with the public, and each have been held securely in military-monitored isolation since their diagnosis. Since the 20th of July, we have not confirmed any new cases of the virus.

However, unfortunately, a number of these returning Fijians were elderly and had serious underlying medical conditions, factors which both greatly increase the risk of mortality.

Our first border quarantine case of COVID-19 was a 66-year-old gentleman who was returning to Fiji after receiving surgical treatment in India for a longstanding cardiac condition. Sadly, despite the best efforts of our healthcare professionals, this gentleman passed away yesterday in the isolation ward at Lautoka Hospital due to complications from COVID-19.

The Ministry of Health and Medical Services has extended our sincere condolences directly to the gentleman’s family, who we have remained in constant contact with since his diagnosis. This is an enormous tragedy for them. I can tell you our staff at the Ministry of Health and Medical Services are devastated by this loss as well.

It is important to note that this gentleman contracted the virus while in India, a country which is in the midst of a large-scale outbreak of COVID-19. In many other countries, news of the first death due to the virus has signalled an intensifying of the outbreak. This is not the case for Fiji. Again, the virus is not present in Fijian communities, nor is there any risk of infection among the Fijian public.

Fiji committed to repatriating our citizens from around the world because we have the confidence and the capacity to do so without risking our status as a COVID-Contained country. We were well-prepared for the risk that our citizens abroad could contract the virus.

Because we know how deadly this disease can be, we were also well-prepared for the risk of a fatality, and we’ve handled this situation in line with our infection prevention control protocols to ensure no risk to the public.

Owed to our exhaustive preparation, and our commitment to repatriate our people wherever possible, we don’t have to read a headline in a foreign newspaper about this gentleman passing away while stranded from his family overseas. Instead, we were able to bring him home to Fiji, safely diagnose him, and treat the severity of his condition as well as it could be treated. This gentleman’s family is now making funeral arrangements to have him buried in Fiji.

I know I speak for all of the Ministry –– particularly for this gentleman’s attending physicians –– when I say how deeply affected we all are by this loss. I’d ask the media to please be considerate of the family’s privacy during this unimaginably difficult time.

Thank you.

Date: July 20th 2020

Today we are announcing one new border quarantine case of COVID-19 – a 50-year-old female. Like the eight border quarantine cases announced since July 6th this latest case is a repatriated Fijian citizen from the flight from India that arrived on July 1st, and she is also the wife of one of the earlier announced border quarantine cases from this flight. When her husband tested positive they were both moved from the government designated quarantine facility to the isolation facility at Lautoka Hospital. She had tested negative on the first round of testing conducted for all passengers, but tested positive during the second round of testing. As she is close contact of a known case it is not unexpected that she has also tested positive. She remains at the isolation facility at Lautoka Hospital and is currently asymptomatic.

This new case brings to a total of nine border quarantine cases announced since Monday 6th July –– all are  repatriated Fijian citizens that arrived via the same flight from India that landed in Nadi on July 1st.

The rest of the passengers from the flight tested negative for COVID-19 during the second round of testing in Fiji. This means they all registered three negative COVID-19 test results –one before departure from India, the second soon after arrival into Fiji, and the third by the end of the mandatory 14-day quarantine period. All the passengers on the flight were kept understrict border quarantine conditions from the moment they arrived, including completing 14 days quarantine in government designated quarantine facilities, where they are supervised by the Republic of Fiji Military Forces and screened daily for symptoms by staff from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services. They were cleared and released at the end of the 14-day quarantine period.

As an added precaution the frontline staff at the border quarantine facilities holding these passengers were also tested for COVID-19 – all have tested negative. I will again re-emphasize here: so long as our border quarantine and infection prevention control protocols are upheld there is no risk to the Fijian public from border quarantine cases.

Ministry of Health & Medical Services

Date: 10/07/2020
STATEMENT FROM THE ACTING PERMANENT SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND MEDICAL SERVICES

At our last press conference on Tuesday the of 7th July we announced that the rest of the 105 passengers on the flight that repatriated Fijian citizens from India on July 1st would be tested for
COVID-19.

Today, based on the result of those tests, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services is announcing five new border quarantine cases of COVID-19. This brings to a total of eight border quarantine cases announced since Monday 6th July –– all are repatriated Fijian citizens arriving off the same flight from India that landed in Nadi on July 1st.

All the passengers on the flight have been kept under strict border quarantine conditions from the moment they arrived, including in government designated quarantine facilities where they
are supervised by the Republic of Fiji Military Forces and screened daily by staff from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services.

The five border quarantine cases announced today are a 44-year-old male, 38-year-old female, 51-year-old male, 29-year-old female, and 47-year-old male. One is the husband of a border
quarantine case announced earlier this week. Four of the cases have no symptoms, and one has mild symptoms. All have been securely transferred to the Nadi or Lautoka Hospital isolation
facilities.

I will again re-emphasize here: so long as our border quarantine and infection prevention control protocols are upheld there is no risk to the Fijian public from these latest border quarantine cases. The protocols to prevent transmission between the latest border quarantine cases and the support staff in the quarantine facilities have been upheld – there has been no breach. However, as an additional precaution, support staff in these facilities are being tested for COVID-19 on a regular basis.

I also wish to reassure the public that, contrary to the Fiji Sun report this morning, there wasn’t any “slip up” in Fiji’s quarantine protocols. Since the introduction of compulsory quarantine we have taken into account the need to replicate quarantine conditions in alternative sites for serious medical reasons. The process to replicate these quarantine conditions is extremely strict, with RFMF and MoHMS surveillance taking place directly at the home quarantine site.

Only when it is medically necessary do we commit the time and resource to allow individuals to safely complete their 14 days of quarantine in such an environment. But no matter what, the 14-day requirement still applies –– no exceptions.

On another note: The Republic of Fiji Military Forces personnel that arrived in Fiji on Saturday 27th June will complete their 14 days of quarantine in a government designated facility this
weekend. They were tested for COVID-19 soon after arrival in Fiji – with all testing negative. They will all be tested again: requiring a second negative test result before being cleared for release from quarantine. It’s certainly been a long journey back to Fiji for our returning forces, but bringing our troops home and reuniting them with their family members is well worth every measure of effort we’ve given. The same goes for all of our citizens who we are safely returning to Fiji from overseas. By doing so, we are doing more than proving our systems can support the safe repatriation of our fellow Fijians –– we are proving that we are a nation that does not turn its back on its own people.

The Ministry of Health and Medical Services will continue to work closely with the RFMF and the border control teams at our ports of entry, to ensure that our border control measures remain firm and the systems and processes for the checking and clearance of quarantine individuals are working well. Rest assured, Fiji is still a COVID-Contained country.

Date: 07/07/2020

STATEMENT FROM THE ACTING PERMANENT SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND MEDICAL SERVICES

Today the Ministry of Health and Medical Services is announcing two new border quarantine cases of COVID-19. Both are Fijian citizens who were repatriated from India on July 1st. One is the 37-year-old son of our first border quarantine case announced yesterday. And the second is a 36-year-old female. Like the first two cases, she had been in Chennai India, where she had accompanied her husband who underwent treatment for a medical condition.

The 37-year-old male currently has no symptoms and has been securely and hygienically transferred with his father from the Nadi isolation facility to the Lautoka isolation facility –– which is better suited to offer treatment for severe cases –– as a precaution due to the father’s age and pre-existing medical conditions. The 36-year-old female reported mild symptoms of COVID-19 while in the quarantine facility and her test result was positive this morning at the Fiji CDC. She is in a stable condition and has been transferred, along with her husband, to the Nadi Hospital isolation facility. Her husband is also being tested and tomorrow, we will also be testing all of the remaining 105 passengers –– all of whom currently remain in supervised, government-funded quarantine facilities.

I want to be clear here: Not a single passenger onboard that flight from India is among the public. Every passenger was safely transported to a quarantine facility the moment they arrived, where they have remained under strict RFMF-supported supervision. Every passenger has only engaged with medical staff wearing the proper protective equipment. The flight crew that flew them here is no longer in the country.

Today marks 80 days since our last case outside a border quarantine facility was reported. As highlighted yesterday – the cases of COVID-19 are accelerating worldwide, including in India. We have never closed our borders to our own citizens during this pandemic, and have been receiving repatriating citizens who have undergone mandatory 14-day quarantine in government designated and supervised quarantine flights since March 28th. Since April 23rd all passengers in the quarantine facilities have been tested for COVID-19 before release – even if they do not have symptoms. More than 3000 Fijians have safely come home through this process without leading to the infection of a single person in Fiji.

Fiji’s defenses against COVID-19 have been tried and tested – with our first 18 cases and now with these border quarantine cases. What we have shown, and need to continue to demonstrate, is that we have the systems and processes in place to continue to contain COVID-19 and prevent spread into our communities. We have seen breaches in other countries with similar border quarantine systems and have noted the lessons learned. Like other countries that have been successful in containing COVID-19: as long as we continue to welcome back our own citizens from nations with large-scale outbreaks we should expect to find cases at our border. This is the new normal – because we cannot turn our back on our own people. We must not lose sight of our humanity, even in difficult times. More importantly, our healthcare system –– supported by our disciplined forces –– is proven to be able to manage these cases without risking community infection.

I will re-emphasize here: so long as our border quarantine protocols are upheld there is no risk to the Fijian public from these latest border quarantine cases.