Two male Fijian citizens are new COVID-19 border quarantine cases

Two male Fijian citizens are new COVID-19 border quarantine cases.

Acting Permanent Secretary for Health and Medical Services Dr. James Fong says the two arrived in repatriation flight GA7280 from New Delhi to Fiji on the 27th of last month.

One is aged 55 and the other is 22. 

This confirmation brings Fiji’s total number of active border quarantine cases to five.

He says both are hygienically secured in the isolation ward at Nadi Hospital.

Dr. Fong says neither were displaying symptoms at that time of testing.

All 83 other passengers on board the flight have returned negative results and they have each been entered into mandatory 14-day quarantine period in a government-designated quarantine facility under supervision from the Republic of Fiji Military Forces.

Dr. Fong says if any develop symptoms, they will be tested for the virus.

He says the frontline border staff that were directly involved in the arrival of the passengers on this flight have also tested negative for COVID-19.

Dr. Fong adds several New Zealand citizens on board this flight continued onwards travel after spending about 30 minutes on the tarmac of Nadi Airport.

Five of those passengers went on to test positive for COVID-19 upon arrival to New Zealand.

He says as per their infection control protocols, all areas of Nadi Airport accessible to passengers from that flight have been hygienically deep-cleaned.