Contact tracing teams managed to identify 336 primary and secondary contacts and brought them into quarantine facilities overnight after confirmation that a soldier contracted COVID-19 from a Nadi quarantine facility.
Permanent Secretary for Health Doctor James Fong says Fiji’s security protocols have done exceptionally well at keeping people safe, and they will use this opportunity to strengthen them further, particularly to prevent the spread of new, more contagious variants.
He says what they can say is that the soldier did not violate protocol.
Doctor Fong has revealed that the soldier was wearing the proper personal protective equipment and never left the facility to enter the public.
He says the soldier’s interaction with the daytime staff of the quarantine facility was in keeping with their protocols however given the potentially wide transmission period they have to spread their contact tracing net wide and early.
Doctor Fong says this incident is a reminder that the only sustainable way in which they protect Fijians will be through COVID-19 vaccines and our hands, face and space, COVID safe behaviour.
He stresses that our border quarantine system has performed exceptionally well, but it is not perfect.
Doctor Fong says immunity through vaccines, is the only real long-term solution.
Doctor Fong calls on you to wash your hands, maintain physical distance where possible, stay home and report your symptoms if you are feeling unwell.
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