The Health Minister, Dr. Ifereimi Waqainabete [front, middle] during a talanoa session with the teachers and school Comittee on vaccinations, COVID safe measures and the new normal at Lodoni Primary School in Sawakasa, Tailevu North [Source: Twitter]

The Ministry of Health has been carrying out community engagement to boost community COVID-preparedness.

The COVID-19 Incident Management Unit has been rolling out this training with community health workers, turaga-ni-koro, mata-ni-tikina, church leaders, school managers, headteachers, and principals in rural areas throughout Fiji.

Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong says the outcome of this training is COVID-19 preparedness equipping local communities with the knowledge to carry out community-based surveillance, care pathways for COVID-19 cases, and COVID-19 safe measures.

Dr Fong adds that the impact of the vaccination coverage has been encouraging, adding that the immunity that has been built through vaccination, together with the numbers of people who have gained immunity due to prior infection, means that the vast majority of people infected by Omicron will have a manageable illness and can recover at home.