The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Suva has said in a statement there was no reason for the Fijian government to close its borders to travellers who have been in China however Fiji says it has decided on this measure of extreme precaution to mitigate the risk of an outbreak in our country.
As part of the preventative measures in place to contain the Novel Coronavirus, Fiji has banned foreign nationals, who have been in Mainland China within 14 days of their intended travel to Fiji.
A Chinese Embassy spokesperson says they hope that the Fijian Government should minimize the negative impact on the movement of people as much as possible.
They stress that the Chinese Government and people are making every effort to fight the outbreak of the coronavirus.
The spokesperson says they have taken the most comprehensive and rigorous containment and mitigation measures, and many of them go well beyond the requirements of the International Health Regulations.
The Chinese Embassy says by doing so, China is not only protecting the health of its people, but also that of people around the world, including Fiji.
The spokesperson says such efforts are fully recognized by many governments as well as the WHO.
The embassy says the WHO has also stated that it continues to have confidence in China’s capacity to control the outbreak. It says there is no reason for measures that necessarily interfere with international travel and trade. The embassy further says that the WHO does not recommend limiting trade and movement.
Meanwhile, the Fijian Immigration Department says that no passenger arrivals or transits will be permitted for those falling under the controls, until further notice.
There are no confirmed cases of the Coronavirus in Fiji at the moment.
The government says it is working closely with all international carriers to ensure that any travellers who fall under these restrictions are not permitted to board flights to Fiji.
They also say that measures to maintain a hygienic environment and screening ill passengers will continue to be taken in-flight to further minimize any risk.
The Immigration Department says that Fiji is closely monitoring the spread of the Coronavirus and is prepared to pursue more stringent courses of action if necessary.
Countries, territories or areas with reported confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV, 6 February 2020
Confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV acute respiratory disease reported by provinces, regions and cities in China, 6 February 2020
Two Fijians in Isolation Showing No Symptoms
Health Minister, Doctor Ifereimi Waqainabete says the two Fijian citizens who have been placed in isolation at the Nadi Hospital after their arrival into Fiji from Guangdong in China, are recovering well and showing no symptoms of Novel Coronavirus now.
Doctor Waqainabete confirms that the test results for the two will be received tomorrow evening.
He says they are isolating people to make sure there is no threat.
