Tusi Tala, Staff Writer
Seven guests fell ill from suspected alcohol poisoning at a luxury resort on Fiji’s Coral Coast. They have been released from Lautoka Hospital. At least two of the four Australians affected are also returning home.
The group became seriously ill after consuming piña coladas at the Warwick Fiji Resort. Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism, Viliame Gavoka, stated to local reporters in Suva on Monday that this incident is “extremely isolated.”
He noted that the discharge of most patients is a positive sign that the situation is not as grave as initially feared. “The Fijian government wants to assure both local and international visitors that this is a very isolated case,” he said. “Thousands of tourists are currently enjoying their time in Fiji, with nearly a million visiting safely each year. This is the only incident of its kind we have seen in recent memory, and nothing similar has occurred this year.”
While acknowledging the public’s concerns, he emphasized that Fiji’s tourism is generally very safe and that immediate actions are being taken to identify the cause of the illness among these guests. The government will keep the public updated on the investigation.
Local journalist Mereoni Mili reported that it will take three to five days for the toxicology report to clarify the situation. In the meantime, New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has raised its travel alert level for Kiwis visiting Fiji
