Nadi international airport

The Ministry of Health will be revamping its quarantine facilities.

Permanent Secretary Dr James Fong says they will install additional CCTV cameras and strengthen the protocol to protect against human error to an even more stringent degree than before.

Dr Fong says Fiji needs a much firmer grasp on the current COVID-19 outbreak before the re-opening of international passenger travel to Fiji can be considered.

He adds all international passenger flights from all countries were suspended on the 22nd of April- nine days ago.

“We are not labelling countries as high-risk or low-risk, we simply are not taking passengers from any countries at all. The only exception are Fijians travelling for medical procedures and those with special approval granted by the Ministry. Our quarantine capacity has been directly and entirely dedicated towards contacts of local cases in Fiji.”

Dr Fong says, as for the rest of the COVID-containment infrastructure, the isolation facilities are currently operating at 12% occupancy.

He adds the facilities are well-prepared and well-supplied, including food and proper bedding, well before new patients are admitted.

Dr Fong also highlighted they did have some hiccups with regards to the early logistics which have been resolved.