Minister for Health and Medical Services Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete will lead a team to the Northern Division to push for second dose vaccination, especially in Bua.

This is after concerns were raised on the low vaccination coverage.

The community engagement team from various ministries will arrive on November 2. The second dose coverage is currently 43.4 per cent.

Dr Waqainabete said his team are working through their quarantine specifics which also included the testing regimen.

Permanent Secretary for Health and Medical Services Dr James Fong said all clinical support measures to mitigate the increase in COVID-19 cases and cases with severe COVID-19 have been set up with emphasis on Nabouwalu and Labasa Hospitals.

“There will be a special dispensation to reduce the vaccination interval to six weeks for AstraZeneca,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Bua Provincial Office together with the office of the Provincial Administrator and army personnel from the Republic Fiji Military Forces are working to improve vaccination coverage.

Assistant Roko Tui Bua Ilaitia Sigarara said three teams were deployed last week to targeted villages with less than 50 per cent vaccination coverage.

“This took two days while the other three days was used to sweep the remaining villages including the islands for vaccination,”Mr Sigarara said.

“On this trip, the villagers were made aware of the repatriation procedures so they could make arrangements for a special lodging facility in the village.

“They were reminded of the fines for breaching COVID-19 protocols.”

Mr Sigarara said to avoid an outbreak they will have to improve on the vaccination coverage and it has been shown on the MOH dashboard.

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