The Korean Government has provided further assistance worth FJ$400,000 to aid the Fijian Government in the ongoing fight against COVID-19. The consignment that arrived in Suva on 27 July 2021, is part of Korea’s ongoing assistance to Fiji’s response to the second wave of the pandemic.
The PPE items include 56,000 face shields, 9,200 protective suits, and 385,000 KF94 masks. KF stands for ‘Korean filter,’ and 94 refers to the filtration efficiency, indicating how good the mask is at filtering out particles; in this case, it is 94% efficient. The mask is also highly recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Korea's Ambassador to Fiji, His Excellency Park Young-kyu, said Korea is standing in solidarity with Fijians to fight against COVID-19. “We hope these items are helpful for Fiji to overcome the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic as soon as possible.”
“The assistance is significant as Korea and Fiji celebrate their 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year. Fiji and Korea have enjoyed cordial relations since the establishment of diplomatic relations on 30 January 1971.”
The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Office in Fiji has also assisted through the provision of 8,000 KF94 masks, 4,623 PPE kits, and 500 Infrared non-contact thermometers with a total cost of FJ$420,000.
In acknowledging this timely assistance, the Minister for Health and Medical Services Dr. Ifereimi Waqainabete conveyed the Fijian Government’s appreciation to the Government of Korea. “We are grateful to the Government of Korea for their remarkable support and commitment towards assisting Fiji at this time of great need.
“This assistance will greatly assist our frontline workers to trace and contain the transmission of the virus in our communities and protect the lives of our fellow Fijians. The assistance provided as such from Fiji’s development partners is essential to win this battle against the COVID-19 pandemic”, Dr. Waqainabete said.