Fiji has 119 active cases of coronavirus, four new cases was recorded in the last 24 hours.

Permanent Secretary for Health Dr James Fong said the health ministry continue to see a persistent decrease in the reported case data, which is supported by other community-based indicators.

Dr Fong said the ministry have supported the removal of in-country testing of incoming travelers and the reduction of the isolation period for positive coronavirus cases to five days.

“We will also be reducing our public statements to once a week on Thursdays from next week,” he said.

“We must, however, continue to be vigilant and maintain as far as possible community-wide adoption of COVID safe measures together with immunisation as a means to reduce the disease spread and protect those in the community who are less able to fend for themselves.

“The impact of immunisation is clearly demonstrated in our hospitalisation rates for severe disease which has decreased as reported by all the divisional hospitals.””

“We know that vaccination combined with COVID safe measures will help keep the health care load manageable,” he said.

He said hospitals will continue to maintain stringent COVID safe measures which include restricting visitors and more strict enforcement of masking, and hand sanitization practices while strengthening screening protocols.

“This is to help minimise the risk to patients admitted for severe non-COVID ailments. For workplaces, we strongly advise that COVID safe measures be continually promoted and enforced by management,” he said.

“Community and Workplace leaders are encouraged to maintain many of the COVID safe measures that the community and organisation have learnt during the acute outbreak.”

“This will help us to live with COVID while at the same time reducing the risk of vulnerable people getting COVID or suffering from severe consequences.

“We have maintained a number of public health mandates and measures related to vaccination and incoming travel.

“The Ministry of Health and Medical Services envision that the more people get vaccinated with the booster doses, the better the level of protection, and the safer it will become to remove the remaining public health measures further,” he said.

He said the ministry was  in the process of reviewing our public health measures given the current persistent favourable trends in case numbers and severe outcomes.

Feedback: nacanieli@fijisun.com.fj