Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama. [File Photo]

A new COVID Risk Mitigation Taskforce has been established to carefully determine which countries have managed absolute containment of COVID-19.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says until there is a globally-available vaccine, no country can claim to be truly “COVID-free”.

Bainimarama says New Zealand is expected to soon return to zero-case status and Australia to see more success at containing the spread of the virus.

He highlighted for as long as those entering Fiji pose no risk to the public at large, we will remain COVID-contained.

The Taskforce has been established to ensure which countries meet the rigorous standards.

“Travellers from countries which earn this status will be allowed to enter Fiji without spending time in quarantine, so long as they present a negative COVID-19 test result within 48 hours of travelling to Fiji.”

However, he stressed that under the rigorous criteria established by the local medical experts, Fiji is considered to be the only COVID-contained country in the Pacific.

Bainimarama says, for the time being, strict quarantine restrictions and testing requirements will remain for travellers from every country entering Fiji.

“If either Australia or New Zealand becomes COVID-contained, the quarantine requirements for travelers from that country will be lifted, and movement can expand beyond these bubbles to everywhere else in Fiji.”

The COVID-19 Risk Mitigation Taskforce will also be considering special requests that promise immense economic value.

These include projects that are exceptionally risk-free, but also exceptionally high-reward.