Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong says the mask-wearing requirement will continue.

Dr Fong says it is imperative to wear a mask if people are in an area with substantial or high transmission of COVID-19 or if they have a weakened immune system.

He says there is still a lot that we do not know about the virus, especially as the new variants continue to emerge.

Dr Fong adds COVID-19 has an endemic endpoint, and in Fiji, as is with the rest of the world, societies will have to adapt to living alongside it, by making some deliberate choices about how to coexist.

The Permanent Secretary says that until the consequences of COVID-19 are comparable to daily normal risks and the global threat of resurgence is low, the need for masking mandates will still be needed.