People arriving into the country through all ports of entry will soon be required to complete a supplementary arrival card in an effort to keep out the 2019 novel Coronavirus.

People arriving into the country through all ports of entry will soon be required to complete a supplementary arrival card in an effort to keep out the 2019 novel Coronavirus.

An Arrival Health Declaration form will allow health officials stationed at our port of entries to closely monitor inbound travelers and the history of their travel to check for potential exposure to the virus.

The Ministry adds that under the Fijian legislation, airlines and vessels are required to report any ill passengers prior to disembarking.

Health Minister, Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete says all travelers arriving on flights from Hong Kong and Singapore will undergo additional health screening.

“The measures that we’ve put in place are precautionary measures. Even the symptoms of headache is not similar to the symptoms that’s being said worldwide in terms of Coronavirus. We are just being extra careful in making sure that we have things under quarantine.”

The Ministry is working with international border control stakeholders, including airlines, airports and port authorities, to enhance existing mechanisms to detect ill travelers at international points of entry.

The Ministry will begin providing refresher training to its workers on infection prevention and control measures, ensuring they are aware and well equipped with the correct procedures and protective wear to safely respond to any potential cases.

Meanwhile, 131 are dead and more than 4,600 cases have been confirmed in mainland China.

70 confirmed cases have been recorded in 17 places outside China.