Acting Permanent Secretary for Health Dr James Fong [Middle]. [File Photo]

A 25-year-old nurse is the latest COVID-19 border quarantine case in Fiji.

Acting Permanent Secretary for Health, Dr James Fong says the woman contracted Coronavirus while treating one of the border quarantine cases in an isolation unit and is recovering well.

The nurse is now the 11th person to contract the disease while in quarantine.

Dr Fong says as per requirement, the latest patient lived and worked in the quarantine facility with zero contact with the public.

He adds that all health and military personnel have been swabbed and tested, with all results being negative.

“Even when every protocol is followed, even when protective personal gear is employed properly, this unpredictable and unwieldy virus can still be transmitted. Despite more than 3,000 patients held within our quarantine facilities, this is the first positive case confirmed amongst our staff, working in our isolation facilities.”

The Acting PS says medical staff assigned to be at the quarantine facilities are required to live within the facility and undergo at least two tests that should return a negative result before they are allowed to go home.

Dr Fong says it takes nothing less than bravery to work in these isolation wards and these workers are heroes.

It has been 137 days since Fiji recorded a COVID-19 case outside quarantine.