Surveillance in the community and at the border is identifying more cases of COVID-19 in recent days.

Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong maintains that the most important perimeter for determining the level of response is the COVID status of patients admitted to hospitals.

Dr. Fong says while case numbers are fluctuating, indicators show no reason to escalate Fiji’s COVID-19 response.

Dr. James Fong.

He adds that now it’s a matter of taking the lessons learnt and strengthening Fiji’s Health System.

“You know with all this work that we are doing, there is also a need for us to actually try to create some of the structures that will allow us to go up and go down as appropriate depending on the number of cases that we see.”

Dr Basharat Munshi.

Fiji Medical Association President, Dr Basharat Munshi says it is encouraging that there are zero COVID-19 admissions.

“But the important thing or perimeter that we doctors now look at COVID, is from the perspective of how serious an impact it is having and this is gauged by hospitalizations and I am quite happy to say that as we speak no one ok, zero admissions due to COVID itself in our hospitals.”

Dr Munshi says this achievement can be attributed to Fiji’s high vaccination rate and in turn takes a huge strain off the health systems.