Mobile screening in Samabula.
Fiji has shown its capability to handle the COVID-19 virus in the past, but the current outbreak is something that will rattle even the biggest of nations around the world.
This according to an epidemiologist, Michael Baker, who is a professor with the University of Otago in Wellington.
He says Fiji has done very well in handling the virus since it first appeared here last year and maintaining a COVID-19 free community for a year.
Professor Baker says as we battle this outbreak, Fiji’s approach is very similar to what New Zealand has done in terms of contact tracing, quarantine, isolation and lockdown.
“Well I think they have got all of the same technology that New Zealand has. But this will be a test for any health system to manage this outbreak. I think they can manage it but it will take lot of effort to do that because they’ve got multiple lines of transmission in the community, which they haven’t fully identified, so that’s the real challenge for them at the moment.”
Fijian Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong, says Fijians need to visit a screening clinic, as soon as they start showing any symptoms of the virus.
“The important thing is for the rest of Fiji is we need people to front up with symptoms and get themselves swabbed in any of our facility that we have as screening clinic. We are also going to send mobile teams around to keep sweeping back and forth, specially within Lautoka, we have to get teams sweeping back and forth to keep on looking for any more extra cases they may find.”
As of last night, Fiji has 39 active cases and three deaths, of which two was last year and one yesterday.
