The Ministry of Health is advising all workplaces and businesses to establish strategies to ensure personal COVID safe practices continue.

Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong says as Fiji prepares for more industries and workplaces to open, the owners need to focus on improving ventilation and air quality to support their current COVID safe measures.

Doctor Fong says this needs to be monitored, improved, and escalated.

He adds there is increasing scientific evidence that improvement in ventilation and air quality in workplaces is necessary for a COVID safe working environment, while sanitization of all contact surfaces provides secondary support in reducing the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Doctor Fong highlighted maximizing natural ventilation by opening windows, doors, and vents when conditions allow, or mechanical ventilation using fans and ducts, or a combination of both is important.

He stresses any poorly ventilated spaces in the workplace must be identified and steps must be taken to improve fresh air flow in these areas.

The PS says the use of portable air cleaners with High-Efficiency Particulate Air filters in spaces with high occupancy or limited ventilation is strongly recommended.