Travel restrictions have been implemented, particularly for travels to eastern maritime islands, by the Ministry of Health and Medical Services in Fiji.
Ministry permanent secretary Dr James Fong said they were seeing an increase in cases in the maritime islands, which he added was expected with the opening of maritime travel and crowding in maritime vessels and social gatherings.
He said medical teams and supplies were being set up and being deployed to maritime islands communities reporting a surge in positive cases.
In view of the disease outbreak in the Northern Division, and also a number of islands in the Eastern division, it implemented the following:
- Travelers on boats between Viti Levu and Vanua Levu: In light of the high prevalence of COVID-19 in Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, the Ministry will not require pre-departure testing before traveling to Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. However, strict adherence to personal COVID safe measures during the travel such as mandatory masking, personal hand gel for hand hygiene and ships to ensure the soap is available throughout the trip, careFIJI app on, and passengers are fully vaccinated with 2 or more doses. Ministry officials will be closely monitoring the implementation of the new travel protocol;
- Travelers on boats from Viti Levu to Eastern division maritime islands that are currently experiencing disease outbreaks will be restricted to travellers for essential services only, for example, teachers, nurses, Government staff on official trips, those workers (and their families) who are getting posted or transferred to the islands, and permanent island residents who came to Viti Levu for the holidays and are returning to their homes without the need to come back to Viti Levu in the immediate future. This measure is to limit unnecessary population movement into the islands as the Ministry is now facing challenges in the medical evacuation of COVID cases to the main hospitals in Viti Levu as the operations of the contracted medevac providers are also affected by the current outbreak;
- Travelers on boats from the Eastern Division islands to Viti Levu who have been identified as positive cases or close contacts of cases will be required to complete 10 days of isolation in their homes on the islands, be symptoms free, and with no pre-departure testing required before they are allowed to board the boat back to Viti Levu. The medical teams on the islands will ensure the amended protocols are adhered to in order to protect the travelling population as well as the limited health care capacity on these islands.
