22 Apr 2020

Fiji introduces hospital visit restrictions

6:37 am on 22 April 2020

Fiji's government has introduced new health protection measures to keep Covid-19 away from patients in hospital.

Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva

Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva Photo: The Electives Network

Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said only two visitors a day will be allowed to see a patient, and the visitation window is for an hour.

Mr Bainimarama said visitors can enter the hospital but one at a time and they will undergo a health-check prior to the visits.

"This virus is deadliest in already-ill patients. That's why it's vital we keep coronavirus away from patients in hospital. Only two visitors a day."

Mr Bainimarama said the ban on visits to isolation wards and facilities will remain.

On Monday, the prime minister confirmed the country's 18th Covid-19 case - a 51 year-old woman who had travelled to the United States.

But Mr Bainimarama said out of the 18, three people had recovered from the virus.

He said tests were carried out twice on the three - over 24 hours in between the tests - and they returned negative results.

He said several people in isolation over the past 30 days had also recovered.

The prime minister said the three former Covid-19 patients and those who had recovered in isolation would be released.

But he said the group would remain under supervised home quarantine for 14 days.

He said the 15 confirmed cases of the virus are stable in hospital.

Fiji prime minister Frank Bainimarama speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York. September 2019

Fiji PM, Frank Bainimarama Photo: UN