The acting Permanent Secretary for Health and Medical Services, , denies a slipup in its COVID-19 14-day quarantine process.

“Only when it is medically necessary do we commit the time and resource to allow individuals to safely complete their 14 days of quarantine in such an environment,” he said at a press conference in Suva yesterday.

“But no matter what, the 14-day requirement still applies –– no exceptions.”

His comments come after a couple openly discussed how they were given approval to leave the designated Government-funded quarantine centre prematurely after being given approval to complete it at home.

Earlier this week, the Fiji Sun interviewed the couple who returned from New Zealand on May 13 but left the centre eight days into isolation.

They said authorities gave them approval citing compassionate exemption to take care of their physically-challenged son.

The woman had said the doctor in charge came to check them then a report was sent to Suva. Following that they were told to tell their family to pick them up from the quarantine facility.

When the Fiji Sun contacted the couple yesterday, they said they had been advised not to speak to the media.

However, it is understood that the Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete is in the West to investigate the issue.

The couple’s names have been suppressed to protect them from social media victimisation.

Active cases

Meanwhile, five more Fijian border quarantine COVID-19 positive cases were recorded yesterday following the three earlier announced earlier this week.

The cases are all from the repatriation flight from India last week via the Garuda Indonesia flight GA 8820 on July 1.

Upon arrival into Fiji, all passengers were kept under strict border quarantine and supervised by army personnel and screened daily by health workers

The five new cases are three men aged 51, 47 and 44 and two females aged 38 and 29.

They are currently in isolation at designated facilities in Nadi and Lautoka and are presenting mild to no symptoms.

They will be tested again before they can be cleared and released.

A Sigatoka businessman who went to India for medical treatment had died on that same flight while it was in transit in Indonesia.

The Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) personnel who arrived into the country on June 27 will complete their 14 days of quarantine this weekend.

Edited by Ranoba Baoa

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