The Health Ministry says over the coming weeks they will increase their capability to facilitate repatriation by the creation of safe and secure quarantine corridors that will mitigate the infection risks associated with unregulated travel.
Permanent Secretary for Health Doctor James Fong says to date, none of the repatriations that have gone through their quarantine corridor has resulted in viral spread into the community.
He says the current outbreaks in a number of maritime communities have been caused by individuals undertaking unauthorized travel that have bypassed COVID safe protocols.
Doctor Fong stresses community support towards these quarantine corridor protocols will greatly assist in ensuring that the risk of unregulated travel into communities unaffected by the virus to date remains minimal.
He adds with the additional capability, they hope to improve on the current rate of local repatriation without compromising the safety and health status of the destination communities.
Doctor Fong says the threat of community transmission is always real, and is higher with unregulated travel.
He adds with a high vaccination rate and with strict adherence to COVID safe measures, the potential for transmission in a community will be slower and the ability to contain the outbreak, better.
For those wishing to sell produce along with Queens and Kings, they expect vendors and travellers to be fully vaccinated, wear masks appropriately at all times and practice hand hygiene.
He says the exchange of goods and money needs to follow protocols provided by the Ministry of Health and Medical Services.
Doctor Fong adds soon, they will publish the vaccination rates of all areas along the King and Queens highways and other major routes so that travellers know which areas are safest to stop to take a rest, fill in fuel, buy vegetables, coconuts to drink, or hot corn or BBQ to eat.
He adds everyone should read that list carefully before getting in their vehicle and heading anywhere on Viti Levu.
Doctor Fong says their advice is to avoid areas with lower vaccination coverage.
