Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong says it has been 30 days since this year’s first local case of COVID-19, and he is telling people now, this outbreak is more serious than anything we have faced before.
Doctor Fong says this will not be a 30-day war.
He says the variant is more transmissible, the clusters of cases are larger and more widespread, and he can sadly promise you that it will not be the last day that they announce new local cases.
Doctor Fong says they may have found thousands of contacts, but it will take many more days of testing to know how many people may be positive and how the containment strategy must evolve in response.
He says they are going to steadily enhance their community surveillance plans, both through mobile teams and stationary clinics.
Doctor Fong says they have likely cases of community transmission in Fiji, that means access to screening and testing at the community level is critical.
He says if new cases come about and future restrictions must come into place, this strengthened network of community surveillance will ensure those measures can be more targeted.
In the meantime, please do not leave your homes unless you need to get food, medicine, or other essential items.
Please don’t only act carefully just because the Health Ministry told you to do so, do it because your life and the lives of those you love depend on it.
