![The Lautoka Hospital is now serving as a full-time COVID care facility. [image: File]](https://www.fijivillage.com/news_images/87133386060944d06c0bac5a44662a.gif)
Permanent Secretary for Health Doctor James Fong says following the worrying spate of cases among our healthcare workers, they are taking urgent steps to prevent more of our health facilities from becoming source points of new COVID outbreaks.
Doctor Fong says their longstanding protocol has been to screen all incoming patients for COVID-19 symptoms and test if necessary at admission. He says this will be strengthened.
They will also be heavily restricting visiting hours at all hospitals and health centres in Fiji to limit mixing between patients, medical personnel, and the general public.
He says this was not an easy decision for the Health Ministry.
Doctor Fong says they have only considered it given the serious threat this virus poses to the people and the ability to offer other forms of life-saving care.
He says with Lautoka Hospital now serving as a full-time COVID care facility, they need every hospital and health centre in the country open and accessible for other critical medical treatments.
