Coronavirus: Fiji confirms first case

Fiji has its first confirmed case of coronavirus, a Government official said.

Minister for Health and Medical Services Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete confirmed that there is a single case of Covid-19 in Lautoka on his Twitter handle, the Fiji Sun reported.

"There is a single confirmed case of COVID-19 in Lautoka that was imported from a patient who had recently travelled abroad. He was immediately isolated, where he remains under careful medical supervision."

Waqainabete said Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama would be speaking to media to elaborate on the issue.

The minister said a team were working to identify those who people who had had contact with the patient.

"There are no locally transmitted cases in Fiji, but we are vastly expanding containment measures. Details are being finalised now," Waqainabete said.

Meanwhile, Bainimarama opened the country's first facility capable of testing for the coronavirus - one of only four in the Pacific.

Yesterday, Samoa confirmed its first suspected case of coronavirus, with a Kiwi traveller hospitalised and awaiting test results.

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Bainimarama said the new Fiji Centre for Disease Control in Suva meant results from coronavirus testing could be available within six to eight hours.

He told guests at the launch that given the spread of the virus around the world, it was important Fiji was prepared.

The centre was also able to conduct molecular testing for a range of other diseases, he said.

- additional reporting RNZ