7,000 backlogged swabs flown out to Australia today with another 4,000 expected to depart on Saturday

The Ministry of Health says 7,000 backlogged swabs were flown out to Australia today for COVID-19 tests, with another 4,000 expected to depart on Saturday.

This is due to the backlog of approximately 11,000 swab samples due to the temporary shutdown of the Fiji Centre for Disease Control.

There are no new COVID-19 cases to report as at 6am today.

57 active cases are in isolation.

The Ministry says the latest testing data will be reported once a day during the evening update.

Please note that the Health Ministry will be lifting restrictions on specific lockdown areas as results become available.

Decisions about containment areas will also await results from the backlog of tests.

The Ministry of Health says that they will now begin publishing an update early each afternoon giving basic data available as of 6 o’clock that morning.

The more detailed evening statement will also continue as and when required.

The Ministry also says it is essential to locate, test and isolate anyone who may be infected with the virus and not show symptoms.

This is one of the many reasons they have been tracing, testing, and quarantining contacts of cases so thoroughly since the very first case in Fiji.