The Fiji Centre for Disease Control (CDC) has been sequestered with staff onsite or placed in quarantine facilities and lab testing temporarily halted.
This after three administration staff members tested positive for COVID-19 that were announced tonight.
Ministry of Health permanent secretary Dr James Fong said they knew there was limited contact between administration staff and the lab personnel because of existing protocols.
However, he said they made this decision as a result of those cases.
“Testing has temporarily halted while decontamination is being completed,” Dr Fong said.
“The onsite staff will continue processing samples after decontamination of the facility and they will be tested and retested frequently during their sequestration period, similar to what is happening at Lautoka Hospital.”
Dr Fong said their investigations had so far indicated that this cluster originated outside of the Fiji CDC and the virus was then brought in, which would be an expected consequence of community transmission.
“Apart from these three cases, all other Fiji CDC staff have tested negative so far, including all of the laboratory and medical staff in the centre.”
