As many countries around the world celebrate the decline and control of the Coronavirus outbreak, the island nation of Fiji announces that it is completely COVID-19 free. Here is what we know. By Amitha Ameen
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Known as the ‘heart of the South Pacific,’ and home to 333 islands, the tropical country of Fiji is known for its azure beaches, stunning coral reefs, rich marine life, and lush tropical jungles. But the island nation too was affected by the Coronavirus pandemic and a lockdown was implemented to.
But recently, the island of Fiji, home to 930,000, announced that it was COVID-19 free after the last known infected patient was treated and discharged. “Fiji has just cleared the last of our active #COVID19 patients. And even with our testing numbers climbing by the day, it’s now been 45 days since we recorded our last case. With no deaths, our recovery rate is 100%,” tweeted Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama.
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Initially, officials were worried and thought that the island nation would be one of the most vulnerable regions to the virus, owing to the inadequate health industry infrastructure. But thanks to the island nation’s swift action, prompt closure of its borders, and strict isolation measures, the country was able to successfully curb the virus.
And a result of this, many neighbouring islands including the Solomon Islands, Palau, Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and the Cook Islands were able to altogether steer clear of the virus.
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Although the island has emerged victorious against the virus, authorities are still wary about the possibility of a second wave of COVID-19 and continue to follow and implement social distancing and other necessary restrictions in place.
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