Tourism works on COVID measures
TOURISM Fiji is working daily with the Health Ministry, Border Health Protection Unit, Ministry of Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport, Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association, and airline partners such as Fiji Airways and others on COVID-19 measures and protocols.
“Collectively, we’re constantly assessing the data to try to make the right decisions — both to keep everyone as safe as possible and to keep our economy ticking along,” Tourism Fiji chief executive officer Brent Hill said.
“It’s a delicate balancing act but the protocols coming in for January 1 are a good example of assessing the data and then making the right decisions based on the current data.
“The broader team continues to look at all our measures to see where they might need to be tightened or adjusted, and then communicate widely when that occurs.
“There are things that Tourism Fiji are managing – for example, working with FHTA to help hotels manage any positive cases and isolation protocols.
“We are also communicating where we can with tourists or potential tourists, to advise them on safe measures – reiterating to avoid high-risk situations, wear masks indoors and others.
“It’s definitely a team effort.” Beginning today, visitors to Fiji would need to report a negative PCR test no more than two days before entering the country.
Mr Hill said this protocol came into effect in the wake of the current surge in COVID-19 cases in Fiji.
Mr Hill said upon arrival in Fiji, the rapid antigen test (RAT) would also be brought forward to 24 hours of entering the country.
“This is designed based on the data around Omicron – it is highly transmissible and this is a risk reduction measure to reduce the risk of exposure,” he said.
“We had seen some cases of tourists coming in who had picked up COVID in the days prior to coming to Fiji, so this measure is designed to pick that up — ideally before entering Fiji — but certainly quicker when entering Fiji, in order to keep everyone as safe as we can.”