Community, workplace leaders urged to reintroduce COVID-19 safe measures
The Ministry of Health is calling on community and workplace leaders to reintroduce many coronavirus safe measures they learned during the acute outbreak.
Omicron sublineages BA.4 and BA.5 are now dominant in many countries, including Australia and New Zealand.
Permanent Secretary Dr James Fong said the people need to live with coronavirus by reducing the risk of vulnerable people getting the disease.
“The coronavirus safe measures prevent individuals from getting the disease and also reduce the risk of spread to the more vulnerable in the community,” Dr Fong said.
“If we do not take measures to reduce the risk of getting the virus, the small percentage of people who get the severe disease will be many people seeking hospital care.
“A large number of people seeking hospital care will mean that they compete for hospital resources with those who need emergency care.”
Acute cases like heart attack patients, or road traffic accident cases will become more difficult to care for.
The vaccination combined with the coronavirus safe measures will keep the number of people needing hospital care at very low levels.
A total of 19, 080 individuals have received their fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Dr James Fong said 100 per cent of the estimated adult population had received one dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
But, he said at least 5 per cent of the estimated adult population were yet to get their second dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
“The vaccination of our target population has been progressing well with the 12 years and above coverage rate for Fiji being 99 per cent for dose one and 89 per cent for dose two,” Dr Fong said.
“As of August 1, a total of 155,785 booster-eligible individuals have so far received their third dose while 19,080 individuals have been administered the fourth dose,” he said.
He said the Health Ministry had maintained a number of public health mandates and measures related to vaccination and incoming travel.
“The ministry envisions that the more people get vaccinated with the booster doses, the better the level of protection, and the safer it will be to remove the remaining public health measures,” Dr Fong said.
For this to happen the ministry is targeting an 80 per cent booster coverage for those over 18 years of age.
Anyone who is sick should not be attending work or school. If you have coronavirus symptoms, you must get tested for coronavirus.
A person tested positive for coronavirus should be under isolation for seven days.
Pandemic Reveals Weak Areas Within Health System
Dr James Fong says the coronavirus pandemic revealed weak areas within the health system.
The Ministry of Health Permanent
Secretary made the comment while welcoming a New Zealand medical team that came on a medical vessel YWAM which berthed at Suva Port, yesterday.
He said the ministry was now working to improve the health system better and stronger after the coronavirus pandemic revealed the weak and gap areas.
“We have been struggling for the past two years, we were faced with coronavirus and its aftershock. It was almost like an earthquake,” he said.
“We have not only struggled with the coronavirus pandemic, but also with the various flu and struggle with repercussions of our health system.
“It revealed the weak and gap spaces within the health system. Now, we are working through a mitigation process whereby they are trying to build back better and stronger.”