The Ministry of Health and Medical Services says Fiji is into its flu season and the number of people getting sick with flu-like symptoms will increase. Permanent Secretary for Health and Medical Services Dr James Fong said the ministry expected a lot more flu cases at this time of the year.

“Essentially, we are in the middle of our flu season. Traditionally it’s around this time of the year and it has always been the case over the last couple of years,” he said.

“What we noticed in the past two years because of the COVID-safe measures we had a marked reduction in flu cases.”

He said the ministry had mobilised its stocks of a drug called Tamiflu that was now situated across the system.

Dr Fong said that it was quite difficult to differentiate between flu and COVID-19 like symptoms.

“There are some specific indicators like temperatures of more than 38 that were thought to be more related to flu than to Omicron, but I must admit it’s not as clear cut,” he said.