Inbound passenger flights to Fiji will recommence from today

The COVID-19 Risk Mitigation Taskforce has announced that inbound passenger flights to Fiji will recommence from today with several new adaptations to border quarantine protocols.

This is after the Ministry of Health has completed its extensive review of its border quarantine processes in light of the discovery of a potentially more contagious strain of the novel Coronavirus in the United Kingdom.

The COVID-19 Risk Mitigation Taskforce says the new strain of Sars CoV 2 virus appears to be more transmissible.

It says the new strain is transmitted in the same manner as the existing strain, it is detectable through the same means of testing, and it is not considered more dangerous to human beings.

The COVID-19 Risk Mitigation Taskforce says to strengthen border quarantine and infection control protocols the entry swab test will be conducted over day 3 and 4, rather than day 2, as this will reduce the risk of a false negative result and improve the ability to identify cases of inflight transmission.

There will also be stricter in-room quarantine protocols enforced, with no outdoor activity for new arrivals until a negative entry swab test result is received.

It has also been announced that there will be more heightened COVID-safe measures implemented for all border health unit personnel and hospital isolation unit frontline staff.

This will include increased supply and use of N 95 masks by frontline staff and stricter enforcement of the wearing of PPE, including masks, in the airport.

The COVID-19 Risk Mitigation Taskforce says while the blanket restriction on inbound passenger flights has been lifted, the Permanent Secretary for Health and Medical Services will be maintaining tightly-controlled weekly quotas on inbound passenger numbers as the Border Health Protection medical and military personnel and the Airport staff and space are also being used to help with the Cyclone Yasa response.