We are certain there are more COVID-19 cases out there however we are yet to confirm it via tests – Dr Fong

Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong says they are certain there are more COVID-19 cases out there however they have yet to confirm it via tests.

Doctor Fong says they are mobilising a massive house-to-house screening effort in the Nadi and Lautoka Containment Area to determine people’s travel history, so they know where they have been and screen for COVID-like symptoms.

He says they have the capacity to run 600 COVID tests per day.

Doctor Fong says that is how many tests they plan to run every day for the next two weeks.

For this screening effort to be done well, they need to ensure that people in the Nadi and Lautoka Containment Area are at home as much as possible.

From today, the Health Ministry is asking that movement within the Nadi and Lautoka Containment Area be restricted for emergencies and essential purposes only.

If you do not have an essential reason to travel, don’t.

Doctor Fong says they need everyone at home as often as possible.

He says if you are living within the containment area, you should treat everyone as COVID positive until it is proven otherwise.

If you need to go outside, wear a mask.

Keep your distance from others, and head straight home once you have finished shopping for food, medicine or getting money.

Doctor Fong says for those businesses which are open, he cannot stress enough how important it is that you enforce physical distancing within your businesses and require that customers have the careFIJI app turned on while they are on the premises.

He says they have been informed that some supermarkets are not enforcing these measures.

The Permanent Secretary says shops will be shut down if these reports are found to be true.

Doctor Fong stresses that he also wants to be clear with everyone – the problem here is the virus, not any one person.

He says we need to shake the harmful stigma around people who are living with COVID-19.

If you feel you have symptoms, if you know someone experiencing symptoms and if you suspect you have had contact with either of our two confirmed patients, call 158.