The worst of the COVID-19 pandemic is over for the Central and Western Division, however, Fijians have been urged not to become complacent.

Permanent Secretary for Health Doctor James Fong says the bed occupancy rate is low and the Ministry has more than 80 percent reserved space in the Intensive Care Unit.

Doctor Fong says they have seen a drop in the positivity rate which is a positive indicator.

“All our various ventilators, airvo, and oxygen stations are there however quite a lot of them are empty because of the fall in cases.”

 It’s the good news that hundreds of thousands of Fijians have been waiting for since April, and is the initial step in giving the all-clear for the Central and Western Divisions.

 It’s also a step towards an eventual declaration that the outbreak itself has been overcome.

 The news comes on the back of a consistent drop in case numbers and reduced deaths from COVID-19 in recent weeks, indicating that efforts to contain the outbreak are starting to show results. 

 Doctor Fong says while work continues in other Divisions, their focus is on the maritime islands.

 The Ministry has warned Fijians not to become complacent as they continue to monitor test positivity, hospitalizations, and deaths to track the outbreak progress.

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