Health Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete

Health Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete has confirmed the government has not imposed a lockdown for Queen Elizabeth Barracks in Suva.

Dr Waqainabete has rubbished unverified information and speculations that QEB is under lockdown.

This follows claims on social media that military personnel came into close contact with the Customs Officer who initially came into contact with the two COVID-19 patients on board a foreign freighter vessel.

The Health Minister says stringent COVID-19 protocol currently enforced at the Barracks is a precautionary measure to stop any community transmission.

He is calling on Fijians to refrain from following or sharing misleading information that creates public anxiety and making the work of front-liners even harder.

“No, there’s no lockdown and there’s not going to be any lockdown. I’ve just seen some of my friends sending messages saying that there was a discussion around lockdown elsewhere and there was this fake news about COVID-19 patients having run away from the hospital. These are all fake. And again I’m asking those who are doing it, please don’t do it.”

The two latest COVID-19 patients are non-Fiji citizens and were onboard the MV Island Chief which arrived in Fiji on the 2nd of this month to deliver cargo.

The Minister adds the two patients are stable and recovering well at the Navua Isolation facility.

“We consulted our frontline staff to be there all the time in the isolation facility and they will go through the process of remaining isolated and they’ll be able to released back and go back to the ship.”

Dr Waqainabete says frontline facilities including the major hospitals are on reduced capacity – as a precautionary measure particularly the Lautoka and CWM Hospitals.