Patient Surge At Suva-Nausori Health Centres

The discovery of the COVID-19 Omicron variant in the country is expected to put pressure on health service delivery.

This was confirmed by the Permanent Secretary of Health and Medical Services, Dr James Fong as health centres around the Suva- Nausori corridor were flooded yesterday with sick patients, who presented themselves with flu-like symptoms.

While responding to queries by the Fiji Sun yesterday, Dr Fong confirmed that the ministry anticipates pressure on health resources as a high number of people present themselves in health facilities with cold and flu like symptoms.

In his daily update on Monday night, Dr Fong had confirmed the results of positive samples sent to the Doherty Institute in Melbourne, Australia for genomic sequencing. As expected, community transmission throughout Fiji were both Omicron and Delta variants of the COVID-19 virus.

Dr Fong said the surge in patients presenting at health centres was likely due to Omicron variant, as it is more infectious than Delta.

Symptoms of the Omicron variant symptoms include cold and flu-like symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, sore throat, cough, body ache, fever.

“If you have any of these symptoms, please stay home to prevent infecting others, especially those who may be more at risk of severe disease,” Dr Fong urged.

He added that severe outcomes would still be expected in some individuals, including those who have been immunised with two doses of the vaccine, and those with severe underlying medical conditions and or are over the age of 50.

These factors, he said, placed a person at higher risk of severe disease, even if fully vaccinated.

Isolation protocols revised

Dr Fong said a healthcare worker from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, who returns a positive test result, would be required to self-isolate at home for seven days, become asymptomatic, and return a negative RDT test on the sixth and seventh day before they could return to work.

“In the unusual circumstances where the healthcare worker’s absence will severely debilitate the health service, processes will be put in place by the respective health care facility to ensure that a safe corridor of movement and work is created for asymptomatic healthcare workers while maintaining the full isolation requirements.

“For the general public, an isolation period of 10 days for confirmed cases remains in place as before, with the case able to leave isolation without repeat testing once 10 days have passed since the start of symptoms.”

New maritime travel restrictions imposed

In light of the virus outbreak in the Northern and Eastern Divisions as, well as in a number of islands in the Lau group, the Health Ministry has imposed revised maritime travel restrictions.

Starting yesterday, these restrictions would be for travel to Vanua Levu, Viti Levu and to some islands.

Dr Fong said they noted an increase in cases in the maritime islands and this was expected given the opening of maritime travel and the many social media postings of crowding on maritime vessels and at social gatherings.

Dr Fong said medical teams and supplies were being set up and being deployed to maritime islands communities reporting a surge in COVID-19 positive cases.

The newly imposed maritime travel restrictions are as follows:

• Travellers on boats between Viti Levu and Vanua Levu

In light of the high prevalence of COVID-19 in Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, the ministry will not require pre-departure testing before travelling to Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. However, strict adherence to personal COVID-safe measures during the travel such as mandatory masking, personal hand gel for hand hygiene and ships to ensure the soap is available throughout the trip, careFIJI app on, and passengers are fully vaccinated with two or more doses. Ministry officials will be closely monitoring the implementation of the new travel protocol.

• Travellers on boats from Viti Levu to Eastern division maritime islands

Travel to islands that are currently experiencing disease outbreaks in the Eastern division will be restricted to travellers for essential services only; for example, teachers, nurses, Government staff on official trips, those workers (and their families) who are getting posted or transferred to the islands, and permanent island residents who came to Viti Levu for the holidays and are returning to their homes without the need to come back to Viti Levu in the immediate future. This measure is to limit unnecessary population movement into the islands as the ministry is now facing challenges in the medical evacuation of COVID cases to the main hospitals in Viti Levu as the operations of the contracted medevac providers are also affected by the current outbreak.

• Travellers on boats from the Eastern division islands to Viti Levu

Those who have been identified as positive cases or close contacts of cases will be required to complete 10 days of isolation in their homes on the islands, be symptom free, and with no pre-departure testing required before they are allowed to board the boat back to Viti Levu. Our team on the islands will ensure that these amended protocols are adhered to, to protect the travelling population as well as the limited health care capacity on these islands.

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