Category Public Advisory

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.

Date: 06/07/2020

STATEMENT FROM THE ACTING PERMANENT SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND MEDICAL SERVICES

Bula Vinaka.

Over the past several months, Fijian citizens from around the world have steadily returned home to Fiji through a medically-rigorous system of repatriation. Upon arrival, all returning citizens are required to spend 14 days in a government-funded quarantine facility under RFMF and Ministry of Health and Medical Services supervision where they are checked daily for symptoms. They must then register a negative COVID test result before entering the public.

As this process has unfolded, we’ve been well-prepared for the likelihood of COVID cases developing among repatriating citizens. But as we’ve made clear, Fiji has the infrastructure, surveillance capabilities and local testing capacities to ensure these “quarantine cases” at the border present zero risk to the general public. Mandatory quarantine for all returning travelers was introduced on the 28th of March, with mandatory testing coming into effect on the 23rd of April. Since that time, no returning traveler has entered the public without undergoing the full 14 days of quarantine and clearing a negative COVID test result. All of these quarantine facilities are under constant supervision, with support from the RFMF. No one can leave until they are medically-confirmed as free of the virus –– no exceptions.

On the 4th of July, Ministry of Health and Medical services personnel detected COVIDlike symptoms in a 66-year-old man who returned from India for a medical procedure during day three of his mandatory 14-day quarantine. He was tested and registered a positive COVID-19 test result last night. He has since been securely and hygienically transported to Nadi Hospital, where he is being kept in isolation. He is in stable condition.

His son –– who travelled with him from India –– has also been moved into isolation at Nadi Hospital. The son is not displaying any symptoms. Regardless, we’ve had him
tested with results expected tomorrow. The gentleman and his son arrived in Fiji on the 1st of July. From the moment of their arrival they have remained under careful and constant medical supervision. The gentleman travelled from India on board a flight with 107 other travellers. These other passengers all remain securely in quarantine. As a precaution, all are being tested
for the virus.

Tomorrow marks 80 days since we recorded our 18th case of COVID-19. While this case technically marks case number 19, this is a “border quarantine case” which was
identified and securely contained by our stringent border protection protocols. It carries no risk of entering the community.

This latest case is why we’ve been careful not to label Fiji as “COVID-Free”. We believe –– so long as a nation welcomes back its own citizens –– it cannot reliably claim itself free of the virus. But because Fiji’s strict border protections have functioned as designed, Fiji retains its well-earned status as a COVID-Contained country.

Let this latest case go to show that –– while Fiji may be free of community-based transmission of COVID-19 –– this pandemic is still raging beyond our shores. We don’t expect this to be Fiji’s last border quarantine case of COVID-19. Other countries are reporting similar cases as a matter of course. Rest assured, Fiji has built a wall of strong border controls, strict quarantine surveillance and capable healthcare monitoring between border quarantine cases and Fijian communities.\

Thank you.

On Saturday, 27 June, 162 Fijians returned to the country after completing peacekeeping duties in the Sinai.

While we look forward to reuniting our Peacekeepers with their families, to ensure no risk to the public, this can only be done by adhering the current Fijian Government protocols for all citizens returning to Fiji.

Upon arrival at the Nadi Airport, all returning Peacekeepers underwent symptom and temperature checks and were immediately placed safely into quarantine. In addition, the very next day, each was swabbed for the real-time RT-PCR test — one of the most accurate and widely used laboratory methods for detecting COVID-19 worldwide. The tests were conducted at the Fiji CDC, and all came back negative for the virus.

The troops will remain in quarantine until they complete their 14-day period, when they will be tested again using the RT-PCR. They will be released from quarantine only upon receiving a second negative result.

We thank them for their sacrifice –– both in their service as Peacekeepers and understanding of Fiji’s greater COVID-containment efforts.