Country Case Study: Fiji Containing, Mitigating, and Responding to COVID-19: Knowledge Generation and Exchange, Preparedness, and Response (March 2020 to June 2022)

The Fiji government responded quickly and moved decisively with stringent measures following the identification of the first COVID-19 case and took various effective measures to prevent its
spread. It has been quick to implement public health emergency measures including lockdowns, curfews, physical distancing, travel restrictions, and international border closures to prevent imported cases of the virus. While the Fiji government used
its endorsed Health and Emergencies Disaster Management Plan (HEADMAP) and did not view the pandemic as a new concept requiring a new approach, its application remains one that is
innovative and potentially transformative, especially
for Fiji and the Pacific region. A total of 65,713 cases
(7,426 per 100,000 population) and 866 deaths (98
per 100,000 population) have been reported up until
June 30, 2022.
The Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MoHMS) in Fiji mobilized its staff to serve at designated fever clinics and isolation facilities in hospitals and communities, and it gradually increased its sentinel sites for polymerase chain reaction.
(PCR) tests, with additional capacity to undertake GeneXpert COVID-19 testing. Since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was identified in Fiji on March 19, 2020, the government of Fiji has taken proactive and effective measures, including nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as school and workplace closure, community quarantine, limiting size of
meetings, restricting travel, stay-at-home guidelines
for high-risk people, teleworking, closure of high-risk venues, and personal hygiene measures; active surveillance and case detection; and appropriate case management using various strategies including fever clinics, contact tracing, supervision, and home quarantine to ensure safe delivery of clinical services.
The pandemic has disproportionately impacted the most vulnerable and marginalized groups, including women, children, older people, young people, persons with disabilities, the LGBTQI+ community, single and women-headed households, and poor households, with escalating rates of gender-based violence being reported. Although there are many challenges faced in adequately containing and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the lessons learned could provide valuable insights for policy makers and researchers globally.