The Ministry of Health will need to create more quarantine and isolation facilities as COVID-19 containment operations continue.

Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong has called on Fijians to help them, by accepting these facilities in or near their communities.

“Understand that these facilities are as safe as humanely possible. We have reviewed our COVID protocols and procedures and mitigated lessons learnt from past experiences. Quarantine and isolation facilities are a necessary part of our COVID-19 battle and we need them a lot.”

Doctor Fong adds their strategy to contain the virus remains the same, however their capacity to stop the further spread of COVID-19 is in the hands of every Fijian.

“Rapidly find cases, isolate and test them, find and quarantine their contacts. Reduce unnecessary movement of people in containment zones and instil COVID-Safe behaviours and practices to stop the virus moving and spreading. The first part of the strategy is largely in the hands of the health teams and our partners – though we also need people to come forward to get tested if they have symptoms or are contacts of cases. But the second strategy is in the hands of everyone. It is human behaviour that finally determines how well we can stop the spread.”

Doctor Fong says these strategies will only work if people act with extreme caution and follow the recommended protocols.