COVID-19

MoH clarifies protocols for travelers

November 11, 2021 3:00 am

The Ministry of Health will be transitioning Border Quarantine Protocols to Border Risk Reduction Protocol for all travelers coming in from Travel Partner Countries from today.

Permanent Secretary Dr James Fong says this will involve a three-day stay in a hotel with a test to be done on day two.

A negative result will allow for discharge into the community on day three.

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Dr Fong says incoming travel from today will be restricted to diplomats, returning residents, permit holders, and those approved by the COVID-19 Risk Mitigation Taskforce.

The Border Risk Reduction Protocol Processes will be trialed during this time and further refined in preparation for the 1st of December.

Approvals for home quarantine will be extremely limited during this pilot phase.

Dr Fong says changes to domestic travel quarantine protocols will be announced today once vaccination coverage data in Vanua Levu and some of the maritime islands is obtained.

Meanwhile, four people have died due to COVID-19 in the Western Division.

A 72-year-old man from Sigatoka died at the hospital.

The second COVID-19 death to report is of a 70-year-old man also from the Western Division while a 75-year-old woman also from the West died at home.

The fourth death is of a 58-year-old man.

Dr Fong says deaths from August and September are being reported now because of a delay in the issuance of death certificates.

The Permanent Secretary says  58 new cases have been recorded of which 27 new cases were recorded on Tuesday and 31 new cases in the last 24 hours ending at 8 am yesterday morning.

There have been 679 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 677 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year.