Integrity of our Border security And surveillance Under constant Test from returning Residents, visitors

When we first got our first confirmed case of COVID-19 infection at the border quarantine centre, it raised eyebrows. Some even ventured to ask why we are still opening our border to travellers.

First, we cannot deny Fijians returning home from overseas, the right of entry. Under international law and United Nations convention we cannot render our own people stateless.

It’s our responsibility to grant them entry, even if they are travelling from highly COVID-19 infected countries like the United States.

The key is when they arrive they go into a quarantine facility and get tested for the killer virus. They must be virus free when they leave the facility. Again it depends on the integrity of the facility and the testing regime. The whole country relies on this system to prevent the virus slipping into the community. The last thing we need is a second wave of community transmission.

So far the system is holding up. So when a 61-yearold Fijian was confirmed as our newest border quarantine case of COVID-19 there was little concern because we are confident that our system and frontline staff could handle the situation. The Fijian in question had travelled from Sacramento in the United States, transitted through Auckland and arrived in Nadi on flight NZ952 on August 6. He is now in isolation and in stable condition at the Nadi Hospital. In Sacramento County 186 people have died and 12,477 have tested positive. The State of California has recorded 10,705 deaths and 592,000 confirmed cases. It puts the risks we face in perspective from people arriving at the border from countries where the virus is still raging.

A Ministry of Health and Medical Services statement says this new case brings to 28 COVID-19 cases for Fiji since the first case was reported in March. Ten have been border quarantine cases reported since July 6. As announced in July there was one death, and two have since recovered - leaving seven active border quarantine cases.

We have now reached 116 days of no community transmission cases. It’s a remarkable achievement. New Zealand shared the top perch with us at 100 days. Then it fell off after it recorded four confirmed cases in one South Auckland family. It’s now revealed that the family had travelled to Rotorua, stayed in a hotel, ate in a restaurant and visited other sites. It sparked an Auckland lockdown for three days and widespread testing in the city and Rotorua as contact tracing expanded.

Officials are trying to find out where the virus came from. If it came from the border quarantine facility then it had to tighten its system.

We are fortunate that our system at the border is working. The ministry has assured us that its system follows internationally accepted practices. More Fijians and visitors will continue to return home and arrive at the border.

As long as we maintain our vigilance we have little to worry about except for the impact of the crisis.