Minister for Health and Medical Services Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete says they could consider halting repatriation trips to Vanua Levu if COVID-19 community transmission cases increased in the Northern Division.

Dr Waqainabete said as of now repatriation continues because the five COVID positive cases and its primary contacts had been identified, isolated and areas of interest cordoned off.

He said they were currently working with other Government stakeholders to assess the community transmission risk situation in the identified lockdown areas of Nabouwalu and Namara Tiri Settlement.

And active surveillance testing, and swabbing was being carried out in Macuata and Nabouwalu.

Dr Waqainabete said test results from the primary contacts identified in Namara and Nabouwalu continued to return negative.

Repatriation

Dr Waqainabete said for those returning to Vanua Levu they need to test negative 72 hours before entering their first phase of quarantine in Viti Levu.

They would then travel to Vanua Levu and quarantine for another 14 days before being released to return home.

He said COVID positive patients who wished to travel again after testing negative, should be fully vaccinated.

This comes after the first positive case identified at the Nabouwalu Jetty wanted to travel to Gau Island once tested negative.

“I continue to say this and would reiterate again, people need both doses of the vaccine to be fully protected from the killer COVID virus,” he said.

He said with cases increasing in outer islands and Vanua Levu, the act of responsibility was upon every individual to fight and prevent the spread of COVID.

Dr Waqainabete said for the Nabouwalu lockdown area, which was supposed to be lifted this week, they were still holding talks and conducting extensive surveillance testing and swabbing in the province of Bua.

The Northern Division has five COVID-19 positive cases and all these individuals, and their immediate families are isolated at the Malau quarantine facility.

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