Permanent Secretary for Health Doctor James Fong stresses that the public must remain cautious about how they engage in the greater freedoms that they will enjoy.
He says as already announced, as the second dose coverage increases, local and international travel restrictions and other social and workplace engagement restrictions will be eased.
Doctor Fong adds whilst the easing of restrictions is needed to facilitate social and economic livelihood, the public must ensure that together with vaccination, we should continue to closely observe our COVID safe measures and avoid contained spaces and crowds to avoid the risk of increased spread of the virus.
He says the Ministry of Health and Medical Services in preparation for easing of restrictions has remodelled health service provision to ensure strengthened quarantine capacity, greater capacity for community surveillance through test trace and track protocols, registration and line listing of vulnerable persons especially in poorly vaccinated areas, monitoring of positive cases and vulnerable persons to ensure better access to appropriate care plans and reviewing and strengthening clinical care protocols for severe disease.
Doctor Fong says their Communication team together with our multi-agency community engagement team are working with community leaders to identify and strengthen mechanisms that will facilitate a person with COVID-19 like symptoms seeking and engaging health care services early so that medical teams have a greater opportunity to provide timely treatment.
He adds the potential for transmission in any community will be slower and the ability to contain the outbreak better, when we achieve a high vaccination rate and also maintain strict adherence to COVID safe measures.
