Fiji declares itself coronavirus free

Fiji announced it was Covid-19 free Friday after the Pacific island nation's last known infected patient was given the all-clear, continuing the Pacific's remarkable record of success against the virus.

There was panic among Fiji's 930,000 population when the first coronavirus case was announced in mid-March, but strict isolation measures and border controls kept a lid on infections, which peaked at 18 confirmed cases.

Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama attributed the country's virus-free status to "answered prayers, hard work, and affirmation of science".

"Fiji has just cleared the last of our active Covid-19 patients," he tweeted.

"And even with our testing numbers climbing by the day, it's now been 45 days since we recorded our last case. With no deaths, our recovery rate is 100 percent."

Dhaka/Mukul