The new border quarantine COVID-19 case presents no risk to the public, says Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama.

The case is a 66-year-old man returning from India after a medical procedure. He returned on board a Garuda Indonesia charter flight last Wednesday together with 107 passengers.

In a tweet yesterday, Mr Bainimarama said no new directive was necessary and praised the multilayered Republic of Fiji Military Forces-backed border protections.

Acting Permanent Secretary for Health and Medical Services Dr James Fong said the man tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday and was in stable condition at the Nadi Hospital.

“His son, who also travelled with him from India, has also been moved into isolation at the Nadi Hospital. The son is not displaying any symptoms; however we have tested him and results are expected tomorrow (today),” Dr Fong said in a press conference yesterday.

He has reassured that Fiji has built an impregnable wall of strong border controls, strict quarantine surveillance and capable healthcare monitoring between border quarantine cases and Fijian communities.

He said today marked 80 days since Fiji recorded its 18th COVID-19 case.

“While this case technically marks case number 19, this is a border quarantine case, which was identified and securely contained by our stringent border protection protocols. It carries no risk of entering the community,” he said.

The Ministry of Health says the passengers have been tested and remain under quarantine.

Restrictions

Dr Fong said this didn’t change Fiji’s status as a COVID-19-contained country.

“This border-quarantine case, this is not a community case and this does not warrant Fiji to change its status as a COVID- contained country,” he added.

Travel update

A repatriation flight from New Zealand arrived last week with 120 passengers, who are quarantined in a government facility.

Two repatriation flights from Honiara and Delhi arrived last week and 83 passengers are quarantined in a Government facility.

A repatriation flight from New Zealand arrived last month with 90 passengers, who are quarantined in a government facility.

A repatriation flight from New Zealand arrived last month with 102 passengers who are quarantined in Nadi.

166 soldiers arrived into Fiji from a high-risk country last month. They have been quarantined at a Government facility.

Repatriation flight from Manila arrived last month with 21 Fijians who are now in quarantine at the Nasau Hotel.

The ministry continues to monitor COVID-19 hotspots and conduct consultations with divisional and sub-divisional medical officers to strengthen healthcare services.

Edited by Ivamere Nataro

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