SUVA, June 26 (Xinhua) -- A total of 162 Fijian soldiers that served with the Multinational Force and Observers mission in Sinai, Egypt will arrive in the island nation on Saturday and be quarantined in a quarantine facility in Nadi, Fiji's third largest city.

Fijian Military Forces Commander Viliame Naupoto said on Friday that this is in accordance with the COVID-19 containment protocol as part of the new normal.

These soldiers have been in the mission area for 16 months in what was supposed to be a 12 month deployment, he said, adding that the initial flights to repatriate and change these personnel were conducted in March.

The rotation did not take place and the soldiers deploying to replace those in the mission areas had to return to Fiji after a refuelling stop in the Maldives as a result of the COVID-19 restrictions imposed globally by national governments.

Naupoto said recently that local Egyptian staff working in the Multinational Force and Observers missions headquarters have tested positive for COVID-19 after routine tests were conducted in South Camp.

He added that this resulted in further delays to their repatriation in order for the Multinational Force and Observer missions and Fiji to prepare well for the return of the 162 personnel in accordance with COVID-19 containment protocols.

Naupoto said that like everyone else in Fiji and the world, the Fiji Military Forces is learning and adapting to the new normal to ensure its personnel are back home safe with their families, after an extended tour of duty overseas.

Fiji had a total of 18 COVID-19 patients since March 19 when its first COVID-19 case was confirmed, but the island nation is now free of COVID-19 as the last three COVID-19 patients fully recovered early this month.

Early this week, Fiji relaxed its COVID-19 restrictions, but has maintained the nationwide curfew since March 30. Enditem

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