Dr James Fong.

The Ministry of Health has announced three new border quarantine cases of COVID-19.

Two cases are Fijian citizens in their 40s who worked in a mining company in Mali.

They started their journey home on the 16th of November and boarded a repatriation flight from New Zealand on the 19th. They both displayed minor symptoms on arrival which have now been resolved.

The third case is a 51-year-old male non-Fiji citizen who arrived in Nadi on the 19th of November, on the same New Zealand flight.

His port of origin was Germany. He has a work permit in Fiji and was returning with family to complete his contract. The man is asymptomatic now and isolated from his family.

The Health Ministry says as with all cases, these latest ones been under strict border quarantine conditions since arrival into Nadi.

The 3 individual positive entry tests, was conducted on day 2 of quarantine as part of the standard border process.

Fiji has now had 38 COVID-19 cases overall, and these new patients represent four (4) active cases.

The patients are in stable condition and have been transferred to the isolation ward at the Lautoka hospital.

Frontline border and quarantine staff who were directly involved with these patients will all be monitored and tested as per COVID-19 protocols.

The Ministry and the Republic of Fiji Military Forces in preparation for an increase in repatriation activity at the border are now strengthening health quarantine teams with the training and deployment of officials and increased supply of protective equipment.