Border health measures and surveillance will need to be strengthened and maintained as borders open today

With Fiji’s borders opening to international tourists today, the Ministry of Health anticipates their testing numbers to increase from international repatriates and travellers including Fijians visiting families and friends.

Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong says with increasing COVID-19 cases in the European region, and the emergence of the new variant of concern, Omicron, noted to have several mutations, is a cause for concern.

Doctor Fong says their border health measures and surveillance will need to be strengthened and maintained.

He confirms the weekly testing numbers of over 4,000 are still above the WHO recommended rate of 4 tests per 1,000 population per week (or approximately 3,500 tests per week) and they anticipate continued surveillance and testing in the communities and maritime islands to monitor and detect cases for early intervention.