The Health Ministry’s Centre for Disease Control has conducted over 10,000 COVID-19 tests. [Source: MOH]

The Health Ministry’s Centre for Disease Control has conducted over 10,000 COVID-19 tests.

Minister Dr. Ifereimi Waqainabete says it’s been more than 170 days since Fiji detected its last community case.

Results of an external assessment from the World Health Organisation, show our CDC is achieving a score of 100% for COVID-19 testing.

“We haven’t had any new cases despite our people returning back. We are very blessed because of the strong stringent measures that were put in place which the Prime Minister lead from the front and also the budget appropriation and I continue to thank the Minister for Economy for making sure we are well funded in that regard. We have had the border quarantine cases and unfortunately, two of them passed on but we haven’t had any other case that has come out into the community.”

The Centre along with 255 laboratories from around the world recently participated in the WHO’s External Quality Assessment Programme to assess the proficiency of laboratories in performing molecular detection.

Earlier this year, the Fiji CDC also scored 100% during a similar assessment for molecular testing of Influenza, Dengue, Chikungunya, Zika virus, Measles and Rubella.