Fiji ramps up quarantine measures amid rising Coronavirus cases

Suva: Fiji's Ministry of Health has ramped up quarantine measures due to the increasing number of Covid-19 cases in the Pacific region.

Health Ministry Permanent Secretary James Fong said on Friday that they are expecting some high-risk repatriation flights in the next few weeks and they need to be prepared, reports Xinhua news agency. "We are taking preventative measures to ensure the quarantine protocols will be adhered to at all times.

"In the long run, what we are trying to look at is trying to make sure that we can get a more sustainable service delivery model with regards to quarantine," he added. Fong confirmed four border quarantine cases remain in isolation while more than 200 Fijians are at various quarantine facilities.

Fiji reported its first coronavirus death on July 31. The 66-year-old Fijian, who had a history of cardiac problems and returned from India early July, died in the hospital in Lautoka, Fiji's second largest city.

The man was the island nation's first border quarantine case of Covid-19. Fiji has reported a total of 18 coronavirus patients since it confirmed its first case on March 19, and all of them had fully recovered before June 5.

Fiji has conducted more than 4,500 Covid-19 tests since January. Currently, Fiji maintains a nationwide curfew which came into effect on March 30.