The end of the pandemic is in sight.
Repeating a statement made by World Health Organization (WHO) director general Dr Tedros Adhanom, Health Ministry permanent secretary Dr James Fong said the projection “should add to the need for countries to strengthen their capacity to live with the virus”.
“As such like the rest of the world, Fiji continues to see a persistent decrease in cases and we have supported the removal of in-country testing of incoming travellers and the reduction of the isolation period for positive COVID-19 cases to five days,” he said.
“However, strengthening our ability to live with COVID means we remain vigilant.”
Dr Fong said maintaining community-wide adoption of COVID-safe measures where appropriate and maintaining impetus for immunisation remained the only means to reduce disease spread and protect those vulnerable in the community.
“The impact of immunisation is clearly demonstrated in our hospitalisation rates for the severe disease which has decreased as reported by all the divisional hospitals.
“And we know that vaccination combined with COVID safe measures will help keep the health care load manageable.”
He said expanding the vaccination coverage to children and increasing the uptake of booster doses would improve the ability to live with COVID and ensure safe engagement in the recovery of our economy and with the health system.
The ministry said it recorded 19 new COVID-19 cases of which six cases were recorded in the Central Division and 13 in the Western Division.
