The containment zones established in response to this case are no longer in force.

The Health officials will continue to provide the people of Fiji with verified information and not create panic and fear.

Health Ministry Permanent Secretary, Doctor James Fong, made these comments after flagging a potential case of COVID-19 yesterday in the Northern Division.

He says as always they will only release the factual information and not half-baked information and hence this is what they practiced in this instance.

An individual residing in Labasa initially registered a weak positive COVID-19 test result for a sample tested at the Labasa hospital laboratory.

Doctor Fong says two retests of the same sample generated negative results at the same lab.

He says while they suspected this was a false positive given the unusual nature of the tests results, the medical team immediately took preventative action to cordon off the area in which the individual resided, as well as sections of Labasa Hospital.

The PS says they also isolated the individual and quarantined and tested his close contacts, which have all since tested negative.

A repeat swab was taken for the man and it has also tested negative. A swab taken two days before the weak positive swab has also tested negative at Fiji Cente for Disease Control.

Doctor Fong says the patient has never displayed any COVID-like symptoms.

He adds after consultations with the in-country experts and the WHO, they can confirm this was indeed a false positive test result, a rare occurrence that has been known to happen worldwide.

Doctor Fong says they have protocols in place to identify these rare occurrences when they happen, and these protocols have functioned well in this case.

There are no COVID-19 cases detected in the Northern Division.

The containment zones established in response to this case are no longer in force.