The wet weather condition has hindered the contact tracing and swabbing throughout Suva and Nausori.

Permanent Secretary for Health, Dr James Fong says they have identified all 877 contacts of case 113- the factory worker.

Dr Fong says these are individuals who travelled with her on the same bus and who worked with her in close proximity.

“Of the 877 total contacts, 833 have been screened and swabbed. 477 have tested negative with the remaining samples due to be tested. All primary contacts will be retested during their mandatory 14 days of quarantine, which begins from their last contact with the case.”

Dr Fong says they have received more samples from today’s contact tracing.

He adds if the wet weather persists it may be a cause of concern for the Ministry.

“If it causes flooding, and if it does involve the requirement of putting people in rescue centres, that may become a bit of a problem. It means we will have to escalate all our COVID safe measures that relate to rescue centres. That’s not an easy task but it has been done before.”

He adds the health teams are making the most of the lockdown to trace and test high-risk contacts of existing cases.

Permanent Secretary says this is being done to break the chains of transmission before they become unmanageable.