Schools are allowed to impose an approved health safety checklist to prevent an outbreak of communicable diseases such as typhoid amongst students and teachers.

Health Minister, Doctor Ifereimi Waqainabete says typhoid cases in Fiji have been contained and surveillance mechanisms have also been put in place.

There have been recent cases of typhoid outbreaks around the country.

The Minister says the ministry continues to liaise with communities and schools to ensure safety.

“Whatever decisions schools make in regards to making sure that they don’t have an outbreak of communicable diseases, that’s well within their rights to make those decisions. But the two boarding schools in RKS and QVS, actually have a nursing center within the school and there’s a nurse. There is a nurse attached to the two boarding schools-RKS and QVS.”

Waqainabete says two villages in Cakaudrove have recently been cleared from a typhoid outbreak.

He says movement restrictions were imposed and this led to the containment of the outbreak.

The minister reiterates the need for the public to keep proper sanitation and adhere to health safety protocols.