Minister for Health and Medical Services, Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete has cleared the air that Novel Coronavirus is not spread through air but is transmitted from person to person through droplet spread, requiring close human to human contact, so if someone has this virus and touches someone else, the virus can be spread.
Dr. Waqainabete says there is zero evidence that Novel Coronavirus can spread through air.
He told the parliament that there are zero confirmed cases of Novel Coronavirus in Fiji.
While delivering his ministerial speech, Dr. Waqainabete says they are actively preparing medical facilities around the country to contain a case of the virus should one arise.
He says they have two patients with flu like symptoms who have travelled recently and are in isolation while they await their results.
Dr. Waqainabete says given it is the flu season, they expect that more people will be tested for this virus overtime and the public should not be concerned about this as this just shows that they are exercising an abundance of caution.
He says their main hospitals have developed their preparedness plans, are stocking up on essential medical supplies, preparing isolation facilities and training staff.
He confirms that Nadi and Navua Hospitals have isolation wards.
Dr. Waqainabete has also revealed that there are no plans of the Novel Coronavirus positive foreign nationals to come to Fiji and Navua Hospital. He says Navua Hospital is not a quarantine unit for other nations.
Dr. Waqainabete says the establishment of an isolation ward at Navua Hospital is a routine precautionary measure and there is no risk posed to the residents of Navua.
The Health Minister then said that it seems that the misinformation of Novel Coronavirus is spreading even more quickly than the disease.
Dr. Waqainabete then stated that people like SODELPA PM, Lynda Tabuya are more interested in preying on people’s panic and not providing real information about the virus.
As Dr. Waqainabete was continuing to state that Tabuya was misinforming Fijians about how Novel Coronavirus could spread, Tabuya stood up to raise a point of order and stated that Dr. Waqainabete was misleading the parliament.
SODELPA’s Ratu Antonio Lalabalavu while responding to Dr. Waqainabete’s statement stated that Fiji’s health system is vulnerable to an infectious disease outbreak.
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