Archives 2021

Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Monday, 30^th August 2021

Transmission Update

We have 184 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8 am today. 133 cases are from the Western Division, 40 cases are from the Central Division and 11 cases are from the Eastern Division. A full breakdown of areas of interest will be published online tonight on the Ministry’s COVID-19 dashboard. You will also be able to view the approximate locations of new cases, active cases, and recovered cases on the dashboard at the following link: http://bit.ly/3vE2ZBb

There are 11 new COVID-19 positive cases in Kadavu. This means there are now 175 active cases of COVID-19 in Kadavu. All these individuals have been isolated.

There have been no new recoveries to report since the last update, which means that there are now 19,463 active cases. 9,058 active cases are in the Central Division, 10,225 active cases in the Western Division, 5 active cases in the Northern Division (Nabouwalu and Macuata), and 175 active cases in the Eastern Division (all in Kadavu). We are currently reviewing and reconciling our active case database with recoveries and as a result, we expect the recovery numbers to increase in the coming weeks.

There have been 46,141 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 46,211 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 25,951 recoveries.

Deaths

We have 10 new COVID-19 deaths to report for the period from the 26^th to the 30^th of August 2021.  Seven deaths were reported from the Western Division and three deaths were reported from the Central Division.

The first COVID-19 death to report is a 44-year-old woman from Tavua. She presented to the Tavua Hospital in severe respiratory distress. A medical team from the Tavua hospital transferred her to the Lautoka Hospital. She had a history of shortness of breath 2 days prior to presentation. She died 4 days after admission (28/08/2021). She received the first dose of the vaccine in mid-August. She did not receive the second dose of the vaccine. This means that she was not fully vaccinated.

The second COVID-19 death to report is a 57-year-old man from Nadi who died at home on 29/08/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The third COVID-19 death to report is a 77-year-old woman from Nadi who died at home on 29/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The fourth COVID-19 death to report is a 92-year-old woman from Sigatoka who died at home on 27/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The fifth COVID-19 death to report is a 48-year-old woman from Lautoka who died at home on 30/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The sixth COVID-19 death to report is a 65-year-old man from Tavua who died at home on 26/08/2021. He received the first dose of the vaccine in early July. He did not receive the second dose of the vaccine. This means that he was not fully vaccinated.

The seventh COVID-19 death to report is a 44-year-old woman from Nadi. She presented to the Nadi Hospital in severe respiratory distress. She died on the same day (29/08/2021).  She was not vaccinated.

The eighth COVID-19 death to report is an 84-year-old woman from Navua who died at home on 28/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The ninth COVID-19 death to report is a 75-year-old woman from Suva. She presented to the CWM Hospital in respiratory distress. She died 3 days after admission (29/08/2021). She was not vaccinated.

The tenth COVID-19 death to report is an 88-year-old man from Sakoca. He presented to the CWM Hospital in severe respiratory distress. He died 12 days after admission (27/08/2021). He was not vaccinated.

There have been 10 deaths of COVID-19 positive patients. However, these deaths have been classified as non-COVID deaths by their doctors. Doctors have determined that their deaths were caused by serious pre-existing medical conditions and not COVID-19.

There have now been 489 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 487 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. Please note that due to the time required by clinical teams to investigate, classify and report deaths, a 4-day interval is given to calculate the 7 day rolling average of deaths, based on the date of death, in order to help ensure the data collected is complete before the average is reported. Therefore, as of August 25^th, the national 7 day rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 6. The 7 day rolling average for COVID-19 deaths per day in the Central Division is 2 and in the Western Division is 4.

We also have recorded 307 COVID-19 positive patients who died from the serious medical conditions that they had before they contracted COVID-19; these are not classified as COVID-19 deaths.

Hospitalisations

There are currently 244 COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital. 113 patients are admitted at the Lautoka Hospital, 22 patients are admitted at the FEMAT field hospital, and 109 are admitted at CWM hospital, St Giles, and Makoi. 19 patients are considered to be in severe condition, and 13 are in critical condition.

Screening Update

A total of 838 individuals were screened and 124 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 510,011 individuals screened and 88,217 swabbed to date. As of the 29^th of August, our mobile screening teams screened a total of 330 individuals and swabbed 104. This brings our cumulative total to 809,470 individuals screened and 71,545 swabbed by our mobile teams.

Testing update

A total of 330,576 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 373,437 tested since testing began in March 2020. 772 tests have been reported for August 29th. Testing data from one lab is still being received. Testing data is therefore expected to increase. The 7-day daily test average is 1424 tests per day or 1.6 tests per 1,000 population. Weekly testing is at 12.9 tests per 1000 population, which remains above the WHO recommended level of 4 per 1000 population per week. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 20.9%, which is on a downward trend but still indicating a high level of community transmission.

Vaccination Update 

As of the 29^TH August, 558,944 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 266,608 have received their second doses. This means that 95.3% of the target population have received at least one dose and 45.4% are now fully vaccinated nationwide. We are currently doing a mop-up exercise of our first dose campaign, which will allow us to specifically target communities with low coverage, and subsequently also correct and update the total eligible population for our current vaccination program.

Fijians can check the Ministry’s vaccine dashboard to find real-time data on first-dose and second-dose numbers at the national, divisional, and sub-divisional levels. You can access the live dashboard at http://bit.ly/3h2JfCZ

Epidemic Outlook

The 7-day average of new cases per day is 289 cases per day or 327 cases per million population per day. As previously announced by the Permanent Secretary, daily case numbers in Suva-Nausori are currently not being used as the sole indicator to monitor the progress of the outbreak. The Ministry is closely monitoring other indicators such as test positivity, hospitalizations, and deaths to track the progress of the outbreak.

With the decrease in testing numbers, testing remains above the WHO recommended rate of 4 per 1000 population per week (or approx. 3500 tests per week). We will be transitioning to community surveillance testing as severe disease numbers and positivity rates approach the containment phase levels.

We are still seeing a high number of cases and high test positivity of 33.5% in the Western Division indicating a very high level of community transmission. Test positivity in the Central Division is on a downward trend but still indicating a very high level of community transmission at 20.5%. Deaths have also been decreasing in Suva-Nausori over the last 4 weeks. While deaths in Western are still at a high level, with deaths per day at a 7 day average in the Western Division now surpassing the Central Division.

The outlook for the cases found in the North indicates a persistent risk of a community outbreak. Further tracing and testing results are needed to clearly understand the level of community transmission. All contacts of the first case identified are in quarantine and so far tested negative. The swabbing results from within the Nabouwalu containment area, and nearby communities are also returning negative. The Nabouwalu index case (wharf worker) is in stable condition and the members of their family have continued to test negative for the virus. All primary contacts’ exit swabs have also returned negative. As regards the three positive cases in Namara Tiri Labasa, so far, we have established 60 primary contacts. All have been swabbed and have returned negative results. There are ongoing investigations to verify the final number of contacts.

The situation in Kadavu and Malolo Island is extremely concerning as there is clear evidence of community transmission on both islands. We expect the case numbers to escalate together with the risk of severe disease and death. The death reported from Naviti Island in the Yasawas is also of concern as it also suggests there is transmission occurring on the island.

Advice to the public

Severe COVID-19

People with severe COVID-19 are still dying at home, or are coming to a medical facility in the late stages of severe illness. As mentioned by the Permanent Secretary today: 78% of COVID-19 deaths during this outbreak occurred at home, or on the way to the hospital, or within 2 days of admission to hospital – giving no or little opportunity for our clinical teams to provide potentially life-saving treatment.

Severe COVID-19 is a medical emergency, and a delay in receiving appropriate medical treatment reduces your chance of recovering from the disease. You are at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 if you are over the age of 50 or have a non-communicable disease or chronic disease like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, kidney disease, or if you are obese or pregnant.

If you are at high risk of severe disease and have any symptoms of COVID-19 such as a cough, runny nose, fever, sore throat, body ache, headache, loss of taste/smell – please come to your nearest screening clinic to be checked and tested by our medical teams.

We need also need all Fijians to know the severe symptoms of COVID-19, which include the following:

• Difficulty breathing
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• Severe headache for a few days
• New confusion, inability to wake or stay awake
• Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds

In Suva-Nausori we have identified health facilities specifically designated to receive people with symptoms of severe COVID-19. If you or a loved one live in Suva-Nausori and have any of these severe symptoms please go immediately to the designated health facilities listed below.

– Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH)

– FEMAT Hospital, Vodafone Arena

Individuals in Nausori with severe symptoms should go to:

– Nausori Health Centre

– Wainibokasi Hospital

In the Western Division, please go to your nearest healthcare facility if you have any symptoms of COVID-19.

Call 165 if you are unable to travel to a medical facility. 

The public in the North are being reminded that it is important that people throughout Vanua Levu listen to advice and continue to practice COVID-19 safety measures. While all cases are related to operations on the Nabouwalu jetty, the first resided in Nabouwalu and the last 3 resided in the Namara Tiri Settlement which is near the township of Labasa.

The public is requested to practice COVID-19 safety measures of wearing a mask when leaving your home, wash your hands regularly with soap and water or use a hand sanitizer, practice safe physical distancing of 2m, ensure that the careFIJI app is downloaded on your phone and enabled and remember to get vaccinated.

Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Sunday, 29^th August 2021

Transmission Update

We have 396 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8 am today. 303 cases are from the Western Division and 93 cases are from the Central Division. A full breakdown of areas of interest will be published online tonight on the Ministry’s COVID-19 dashboard. You will also be able to view the approximate locations of new cases, active cases, and recovered cases on the dashboard at the following link: http://bit.ly/3vE2ZBb.

Six new COVID-19 cases have been confirmed from Malolo Island. All these individuals have been isolated. There are now 29 active cases on Malolo Island.

There have been 226 new recoveries reported since the last update, which means that there are now 19,300 active cases. 9,041 active cases are in the Central Division, 10,090 active cases in the Western Division, 5 active cases in the Northern Division (Nabouwalu and Macuata), and 164 active cases in the Eastern Division (all in Kadavu). We are currently reviewing and reconciling our active case database with recoveries and as a result, we expect the recovery numbers to increase in the coming weeks.

There have been 45,957 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 46,027 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 25,951 recoveries.

Deaths

We have no new COVID-19 deaths to report today.

There have now been 479 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 477 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. Please note that due to the time required by clinical teams to investigate, classify and report deaths, a 4-day interval is given to calculate the 7 day rolling average of deaths, based on the date of death, to help ensure the data collected is complete before the average is reported. Therefore, as of August 24^th, the national 7 days rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 7. The 7 day rolling average for COVID-19 deaths per day in the Central Division is 2 and in the Western Division is 5.

We also have recorded 297 COVID-19 positive patients who died from the serious medical conditions that they had before they contracted COVID-19; these are not classified as COVID-19 deaths.

Hospitalisations

There are currently 236 COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital. 112 patients are admitted at the Lautoka Hospital, 22 patients are admitted at the FEMAT field hospital, and 102 are admitted at CWM hospital, St Giles, and Makoi. 24 patients are considered to be in severe condition, and 9 are in critical condition.

Screening Update

A total of 2,537 individuals were screened and 164 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 509,173 individuals screened and 88,093 swabbed to date. As of the 28^th of August, our mobile screening teams screened a total of 287 individuals and swabbed 15. This brings our cumulative total to 809,140 individuals screened and 71,441 swabbed by our mobile teams.

Testing update

A total of 329,786 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 372,647 tested since testing began in March 2020. 1,219 tests have been reported for August 28th. Testing data from one lab is still being received. Testing data is therefore expected to increase. The 7-day daily test average is 1579 tests per day or 1.8 tests per 1,000 population. Weekly testing is at 12.9 tests per 1000 population, which remains above the WHO recommended level of 4 per 1000 population per week. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 22.1%, which is on a downward trend but still indicating a high level of community transmission.

Vaccination Update 

As of the 28^th of August, 558,894 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 266,598 have received their second doses. This means that 95.3% of the target population have received at least one dose and 45.4% are now fully vaccinated nationwide. We are currently doing a mop-up exercise of our first dose campaign, which will allow us to specifically target communities with low coverage, and subsequently also correct and update the total eligible population for our current vaccination program.

Fijians can check the Ministry’s vaccine dashboard to find real-time data on first-dose and second-dose numbers at the national, divisional, and sub-divisional levels. You can access the live dashboard at http://bit.ly/3h2JfCZ

Epidemic Outlook

The 7-day average of new cases per day is 347 cases per day or 392 cases per million population per day. As previously announced by the Permanent Secretary, daily case numbers in Suva-Nausori are currently not being used as the sole indicator to monitor the progress of the outbreak. The Ministry is closely monitoring other indicators such as test positivity, hospitalisations, and deaths to track the progress of the outbreak.

With the decrease in testing numbers, testing remains above the WHO recommended rate of 4 per 1000 population per week (or approx. 3500 tests per week). We will be transitioning to community surveillance testing as severe disease numbers and positivity rates approach the containment phase levels.

We are still seeing a high number of cases and high test positivity of 33.5% in the Western Division indicating a very high level of community transmission. Test positivity in the Central Division is on a downward trend but still indicating a very high level of community transmission at 20.5%. Deaths have also been decreasing in Suva-Nausori over the last 4 weeks. While deaths in Western are still at a high level, with deaths per day at a 7 day average in the Western Division now surpassing the Central Division.

The outlook for the cases found in the North indicates a persistent risk of a community outbreak. Further tracing and testing results are needed to clearly understand the level of community transmission. All contacts of the first case identified are in quarantine and so far tested negative. The swabbing results from within the Nabouwalu containment area, and nearby communities are also returning negative. The Nabouwalu index case (wharf worker) is in stable condition and the members of their family have continued to test negative for the virus. All primary contacts’ exit swabs have also returned negative. As regards the three positive cases in Namara Tiri Labasa, so far, we have established 60 primary contacts. All have been swabbed and have returned negative results. There are ongoing investigations to verify the final number of contacts.

The situation in Kadavu and Malolo Island is extremely concerning as there is clear evidence of community transmission on both islands. We expect the case numbers to escalate together with the risk of severe disease and death. The death reported from Naviti Island in the Yasawas is also of concern as it also suggests there is transmission occurring on the island.

Advice to the public

Severe COVID-19

People with severe COVID-19 are still dying at home, or are coming to a medical facility in the late stages of severe illness. As mentioned by the Permanent Secretary today: 78% of COVID-19 deaths during this outbreak occurred at home, or on the way to the hospital, or within 2 days of hospital admission – giving no or little opportunity for our clinical teams to provide potentially life-saving treatment.

Severe COVID-19 is a medical emergency, and a delay in receiving appropriate medical treatment reduces your chance of recovering from the disease. You are at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 if you are over the age of 50 or have a non-communicable disease or chronic disease like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, kidney disease, or if you are obese or pregnant.

If you are at high risk of severe disease and have any symptoms of COVID-19 such as a cough, runny nose, fever, sore throat, body ache, headache, loss of taste/smell – please come to your nearest screening clinic to be checked and tested by our medical teams.

We need also need all Fijians to know the severe symptoms of COVID-19, which include the following:

• Difficulty breathing
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• Severe headache for a few days
• New confusion, inability to wake or stay awake
• Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds

In Suva-Nausori we have identified health facilities specifically designated to receive people with symptoms of severe COVID-19. If you or a loved one live in Suva-Nausori and have any of these severe symptoms please go immediately to the designated health facilities listed below.

– Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH)

– FEMAT Hospital, Vodafone Arena

Individuals in Nausori with severe symptoms should go to:

– Nausori Health Centre

– Wainibokasi Hospital

In the Western Division, please go to your nearest healthcare facility if you have any symptoms of COVID-19.

Call 165 if you are unable to travel to a medical facility. 

The public in the North is being reminded that it is important that people throughout Vanua Levu listen to advice and continue to practice COVID-19 safety measures. While all cases are related to operations on the Nabouwalu jetty, the first resided in Nabouwalu and the last 3 resided in the Namara Tiri Settlement which is near the township of Labasa.

The public is requested to practice COVID-19 safety measures of wearing a mask when leaving your home, wash your hands regularly with soap and water or use a hand sanitizer, practice safe physical distancing of 2m, ensure that the careFIJI app is downloaded on your phone and enabled and remember to get vaccinated.

Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Saturday, 28^th August 2021

Transmission Update

We have 258 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8 am today. 152 cases are from the Western Division and 106 cases are from the Central Division. A full breakdown of areas of interest will be published online tonight on the Ministry’s COVID-19 dashboard. You will also be able to view the approximate locations of new cases, active cases, and recovered cases on the dashboard at the following link: http://bit.ly/3vE2ZBb.

One new COVID-19 case has been confirmed from Somosomo on Naviti Island in the Yasawa Group. The person developed severe COVID-19 symptoms and was medically evacuated via airlift to Lautoka Hospital.

There have been 436 new recoveries reported since the last update, which means that there are now 19,130 active cases. 9,175 active cases are in the Central Division, 9,786 active cases in the Western Division, 5 active cases in the Northern Division (Nabouwalu and Macuata), and 164 active cases in the Eastern Division (all in Kadavu). We are currently reviewing and reconciling our active case database with recoveries and as a result, we expect the recovery numbers to increase in the coming weeks.

There have been 45,561 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 45,631 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 25,725 recoveries.

Deaths

We have no new COVID-19 deaths to report today.

There have been 3 deaths of COVID-19 positive patients. However, these deaths have been classified as non-COVID deaths by their doctors. Doctors have determined that their deaths were caused by serious pre-existing medical conditions and not COVID-19.

There have now been 479 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 477 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. Please note that due to the time required by clinical teams to investigate, classify and report deaths, a 4-day interval is given to calculate the 7 day rolling average of deaths, based on the date of death, to help ensure the data collected is complete before the average is reported. Therefore, as of August 23^rd, the national 7 day rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 7. The 7 day rolling average for COVID-19 deaths per day in the Central Division is 2 and in the Western Division is 5.

We also have recorded 297 COVID-19 positive patients who died from the serious medical conditions that they had before they contracted COVID-19; these are not classified as COVID-19 deaths.

Hospitalisations

There are currently 242 COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital. 115 patients are admitted at the Lautoka Hospital, 23 patients are admitted at the FEMAT field hospital, and 104 are admitted at CWM hospital, St Giles, and Makoi. 20 patients are considered to be in severe condition, and 11 are in critical condition.

Screening Update

A total of 3,894 individuals were screened and 445 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 506,636 individuals screened and 87,929 swabbed to date. As of the 27^th of August, our mobile screening teams screened a total of 1,566 individuals and swabbed 179. This brings our cumulative total to 808,853 individuals screened and 71,426 swabbed by our mobile teams.

Testing update

A total of 328,567 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 371,428 tested since testing began in March 2020. 1,560 tests have been reported for August 27th. The 7-day daily test average is 1680 tests per day or 1.9 tests per 1,000 population. Weekly testing is at 12.9 tests per 1000 population, which remains above the WHO recommended level of 4 per 1000 population per week. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 19.7%, which is on a downward trend but still indicating a high level of community transmission.

Vaccination Update 

As of the 27^th of August, 558,414 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 263,243 have received their second doses. This means that 95.2% of the target population have received at least one dose and 44.9% are now fully vaccinated nationwide. We are currently doing a mop-up exercise of our first dose campaign, which will allow us to specifically target communities with low coverage, and subsequently also correct and update the total eligible population for our current vaccination program.

Fijians can check the Ministry’s vaccine dashboard to find real-time data on first-dose and second-dose numbers at the national, divisional, and sub-divisional levels. You can access the live dashboard at http://bit.ly/3h2JfCZ

Epidemic Outlook

The 7-day average of new cases per day is 334 cases per day or 377 cases per million population per day. As previously announced by the Permanent Secretary, daily case numbers in Suva-Nausori are currently not being used as the sole indicator to monitor the progress of the outbreak. The Ministry is closely monitoring other indicators such as test positivity, hospitalisations, and deaths to track the progress of the outbreak.

With the decrease in testing numbers, testing remains above the WHO recommended rate of 4 per 1000 population per week (or approx. 3500 tests per week). We will be transitioning to community surveillance testing as severe disease numbers and positivity rates approach the containment phase levels.

We are still seeing a high number of cases and high test positivity of 33.5% in the Western Division indicating a very high level of community transmission. Test positivity in the Central Division is on a downward trend but still indicating a very high level of community transmission at 20.5%. Deaths have also been decreasing in Suva-Nausori over the last 4 weeks. While deaths in Western are still at a high level, with deaths per day at a 7 day average in the Western Division now surpassing the Central Division.

The outlook for the cases found in the North indicates a persistent risk of a community outbreak. Further tracing and testing results are needed to clearly understand the level of community transmission. All contacts of the first case identified are in quarantine and so far tested negative. The swabbing results from within the Nabouwalu containment area, and nearby communities are also returning negative. The Nabouwalu index case (wharf worker) is in stable condition and the members of their family have continued to test negative for the virus. All primary contacts’ exit swabs have also returned negative. As regards the three positive cases in Namara Tiri Labasa, so far, we have established 60 primary contacts. All have been swabbed and have returned negative results. There are ongoing investigations to verify the final number of contacts.

The situation in Kadavu and Malolo Island is extremely concerning as there is clear evidence of community transmission on both islands. We expect the case numbers to escalate together with the risk of severe disease and death. The death reported from Naviti Island in the Yasawas is also of concern as it also suggests there is transmission occurring on the island.

Advice to the public

Severe COVID-19

People with severe COVID-19 are still dying at home, or are coming to a medical facility in the late stages of severe illness. As mentioned by the Permanent Secretary today: 78% of COVID-19 deaths during this outbreak occurred at home, or on the way to the hospital, or within 2 days of admission to the hospital – giving no or little opportunity for our clinical teams to provide potentially life-saving treatment.

Severe COVID-19 is a medical emergency, and a delay in receiving appropriate medical treatment reduces your chance of recovering from the disease. You are at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 if you are over the age of 50 or have a non-communicable disease or chronic disease like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, kidney disease, or if you are obese or pregnant.

If you are at high risk of severe disease and have any symptoms of COVID-19 such as a cough, runny nose, fever, sore throat, body ache, headache, loss of taste/smell – please come to your nearest screening clinic to be checked and tested by our medical teams.

We need also need all Fijians to know the severe symptoms of COVID-19, which include the following:

• Difficulty breathing
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• Severe headache for a few days
• New confusion, inability to wake or stay awake
• Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds

In Suva-Nausori we have identified health facilities specifically designated to receive people with symptoms of severe COVID-19. If you or a loved one live in Suva-Nausori and have any of these severe symptoms please go immediately to the designated health facilities listed below.

– Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH)

– FEMAT Hospital, Vodafone Arena

Individuals in Nausori with severe symptoms should go to:

– Nausori Health Centre

– Wainibokasi Hospital

In the Western Division, please go to your nearest healthcare facility if you have any symptoms of COVID-19.

Call 165 if you are unable to travel to a medical facility. 

The public in the North is being reminded that it is important that people throughout Vanua Levu listen to advice and continue to practice COVID-19 safety measures. While all cases are related to operations on the Nabouwalu jetty, the first resided in Nabouwalu and the last 3 resided in the Namara Tiri Settlement which is near the township of Labasa.

The public is requested to practice COVID-19 safety measures of wearing a mask when leaving your home, wash your hands regularly with soap and water or use a hand sanitizer, practice safe physical distancing of 2m, ensure that the careFIJI app is downloaded on your phone and enabled and remember to get vaccinated.

Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Friday, 27^th August 2021

Transmission Update

We have 205 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8 am today. 95 cases are from the Western Division, 80 cases are from the Central Division, 29 cases from the Eastern Division, and 1 case from the Northern Division. A full breakdown of areas of interest will be published online tonight on the Ministry’s COVID-19 dashboard. You will also be able to view the approximate locations of new cases, active cases, and recovered cases on the dashboard at the following link: http://bit.ly/3vE2ZBb

There are 29 more individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 in Kadavu. There are now 164 active cases in Kadavu. All these individuals have been isolated.

One individual repatriating from Suva to the North has tested positive for COVID-19 while undergoing 14 days of quarantine at the Malau Quarantine Facility in Labasa. There are now 5 active cases in the Northern Division, one in Nabouwalu, three in Labasa, and one at the Malau Quarantine Facility. All these individuals have been isolated. The primary contacts of the Nabouwalu index case (wharf worker) continue to return negative test results in quarantine. 62 primary contacts of the 3 cases in Labasa (Namara Tiri Settlement) have tested negative.

There remain 23 active cases on Malolo Island with investigations and further contact tracing and testing continue.

There have been 151 new recoveries reported since the last update, which means that there are now 19,311 active cases. 9,505 active cases are in the Central Division, 9,637  active cases in the Western Division, 5 active cases in the Northern Division (Nabouwalu and Macuata), and 164 active cases in the Eastern Division (all in Kadavu). We are currently reviewing and reconciling our active case database with recoveries and as a result, we expect the recovery numbers to increase in the coming weeks.

There have been 45,303 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 45,373 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 25,289 recoveries.

Deaths

We have 11 new COVID-19 deaths to report for the period of 18^th – 26^th August. Three deaths were reported from the Central Division and eight deaths were reported from the Western Division.

The first COVID-19 death to report is an 11-year child from Naboutini Village, Navua. She was pronounced dead on arrival by the attending medical officer at the Navua Hospital on (19/08/2021). As per protocol she was swabbed and tested positive for COVID-19 on 19/08/2021. Her family reported that she had a fever and cough two days prior to her presentation (17/08/2021).  She was not vaccinated; she was not in the target population of 18 years and over that are eligible to receive the vaccine.

The second COVID-19 death to report is a 6-month-old infant from Nausori Highlands. He was brought to the Bukuya Health Center by his parents on 03/08/2021 with a one-day history of fever and irritability (02/08/2021). He was noted to be in severe respiratory distress by the attending medical officer at the Bukuya Health Center. The infant was medically stabilized and a medical team from the Nadi Hospital was arranged to retrieve the infant from Bukuya Health Center and transfer him to the Lautoka Divisional Hospital (04/08/2021). Sadly, he died 20 days after admission (24/08/2021). He was not vaccinated; he was not in the target population of 18 years and over that are eligible to receive the vaccine.

The third COVID-19 death to report is a 49-year-old man from Nadi. He presented to the Lautoka Hospital Emergency Department in respiratory distress (08/08/2021). He reported that he had a cough and shortness of breath that began two days prior to his presentation (06/08/2021). As per protocol, he was swabbed and he tested positive for COVID-19 on 08/08/2021. Sadly, he died ten days after admission on 18/08/2021. He received the first dose of the vaccine in early May. He received his second dose of the vaccine on 09/07/2021. He was fully vaccinated.

The fourth COVID-19 death to report is a 54-year-old man from Ba. He had a history of generalized weakness, a reduced appetite, and fever for three days (17/08/2021). He was admitted to the Lautoka Hospital in respiratory distress on 20/08/2021. He was swabbed as per protocol and tested positive for COVID-19 on 20/08/2021.  Sadly, he died one day after admission on 21/08/2021. He received the first dose of the vaccine in late May. He received his second dose of the vaccine on 27/07/2021. He was fully vaccinated.

The fifth COVID-19 death to report is a 50-year-old woman from Rakiraki. She presented to the Rakiraki Hospital in severe respiratory distress (21/08/2021). Her family reported that she had a generalized weakness, a cough, and shortness of breath that began three days prior to her presentation (18/08/2021). As per protocol, she was swabbed and she tested positive for COVID-19 on 21/08/2021. Sadly, she died on the same day of presentation 21/08/2021. She received the first dose of the vaccine in mid-April. She received the second dose of the vaccine on 24/06/2021. She was fully vaccinated.

The sixth COVID-19 death to report is a 43-year-old woman from Tailevu who died at home on 26/08/2021. She received the first dose of the vaccine in early July. She did not receive the second dose of the vaccine. This means that she was not fully vaccinated.

The seventh COVID-19 death to report is a 68-year-old man from Lautoka who died at home on 26/08/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The eighth COVID-19 death to report is a 78-year-old man from Tavua who died at home on 24/08/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The ninth COVID-19 death to report is an 85-year-old woman from Tavua who died at home on 22/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The tenth COVID-19 death to report is an 82-year-old woman from Tavua who died at home on 23/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The eleventh COVID-19 death to report is an 87-year-old woman from Tavua who died at home on 24/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.

There have been 12 more deaths of COVID-19 positive patients. However, these deaths have been classified as non-COVID deaths by their doctors. Doctors have determined that their deaths were caused by serious pre-existing medical conditions and not COVID-19.

With today’s newly reported deaths, there have now been 479 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 477 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. Please note that due to the time required by clinical teams to investigate, classify and report deaths, a 4-day interval is given to calculate the 7 day rolling average of deaths, based on the date of death, in order to help ensure the data collected is complete before the average is reported. Therefore, as of August 22nd, the national 7 days rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 7. The 7 day rolling average for COVID-19 deaths per day in the Central Division is 2 and in the Western Division is 5.

Of the 477 deaths recorded during this outbreak: 371(77.8%) were not vaccinated, 103 were partially vaccinated (21.6%), and 3 (0.6%)were fully vaccinated. Therefore, 99.4% of people who have died due to COVID-19 in Fiji were not fully vaccinated.

We also have recorded 294 COVID-19 positive patients who died from the serious medical conditions that they had before they contracted COVID-19; these are not classified as COVID-19 deaths.

Hospitalisations

There are currently 245 COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital. 108 patients are admitted at the Lautoka Hospital, 26 patients are admitted at the FEMAT field hospital, and 111 admitted at CWM hospital, St Giles, and Makoi. 21 patients are considered to be in severe condition, and 10 are in critical condition.

Screening Update

A total of 5,027 individuals were screened and 589 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 502,742 individuals screened and 87,484 swabbed to date. As of the 26^th of August, our mobile screening teams screened a total of 1,244 individuals and swabbed 109. This brings our cumulative total to 807,287 individuals screened and 71,247 swabbed by our mobile teams.

Testing update

A total of 326,851 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 369,712 tested since testing began in March 2020. 1,504 tests have been reported for August 26th. The 7-day daily test average is 1692 tests per day or 1.9 tests per 1,000 population. Testing data from one lab is still being received. So testing data is expected to increase. Weekly testing is at 12.9 tests per 1000 population, which remains above the WHO recommended level of 4 per 1000 population per week. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 19.1%, which is on a downward trend but still indicating a high level of community transmission.

Vaccination Update 

As of the 26^th of August, 555,230 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 255,864 have received their second doses. This means that 94.6% of the target population have received at least one dose and 43.6% are now fully vaccinated nationwide. We are currently doing a mop-up exercise of our first dose campaign, which will allow us to specifically target communities with low coverage, and subsequently also correct and update the total eligible population for our current vaccination program.

Fijians can check the Ministry’s vaccine dashboard to find real-time data on first-dose and second-dose numbers at the national, divisional, and sub-divisional levels. You can access the live dashboard at http://bit.ly/3h2JfCZ

Epidemic Outlook

The 7-day average of new cases per day is 325 cases per day or 368 cases per million population per day. As previously announced by the Permanent Secretary, daily case numbers in Suva-Nausori are currently not being used as the sole indicator to monitor the progress of the outbreak. The Ministry is closely monitoring other indicators such as test positivity, hospitalisations, and deaths to track the progress of the outbreak.

With the decrease in testing numbers, testing remains above the WHO recommended rate of 4 tests per 1000 population per week (or approx. 3500 tests per week). We will be transitioning to community surveillance testing as severe disease numbers and positivity rates approach the containment phase levels.

We are still seeing a high number of cases and high test positivity of 33.5% in the Western Division indicating a very high level of community transmission. Test positivity in the Central Division is on a downward trend but still indicating a very high level of community transmission at 20.5%. Deaths have also been decreasing in Suva-Nausori over the last 4 weeks. While deaths in Western are still at a high level, with deaths per day at a 7 day average in the Western Division now surpassing the Central Division.

The outlook for the cases found in the North indicates a persistent risk of a community outbreak. Further tracing and testing results are needed to clearly understand the level of community transmission. All contacts of the first case identified are in quarantine and so far tested negative. The swabbing results from within the Nabouwalu containment area, and nearby communities are also returning negative. The Nabouwalu index case (wharf worker) is in stable condition and the members of their family have continued to test negative for the virus. All primary contacts’ exit swabs have also returned negative. As regards the three positive cases in Namara Tiri Labasa, so far, we have established 60 primary contacts. All have been swabbed and have returned negative results. There are ongoing investigations to verify the final number of contacts.

The situation in Kadavu and Malolo Island is extremely concerning as there is clear evidence of community transmission on both islands. We expect the case numbers to escalate together with the risk of severe disease and death. The death reported from Naviti Island in the Yasawas is also of concern as it also suggests there is transmission occurring on the island.

Advice to the public

Severe COVID-19

People with severe COVID-19 are still dying at home, or are coming to a medical facility in the late stages of severe illness. As mentioned by the Permanent Secretary today: 78% of COVID-19 deaths during this outbreak occurred at home, or on the way to the hospital, or within 2 days of admission to hospital – giving no or little opportunity for our clinical teams to provide potentially life-saving treatment.

Severe COVID-19 is a medical emergency, and a delay in receiving appropriate medical treatment reduces your chance of recovering from the disease. You are at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 if you are over the age of 50 or have a non-communicable disease or chronic disease like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, kidney disease, or if you are obese or pregnant.

If you are at high risk of severe disease and have any symptoms of COVID-19 such as a cough, runny nose, fever, sore throat, body ache, headache, loss of taste/smell – please come to your nearest screening clinic to be checked and tested by our medical teams.

We need also need all Fijians to know the severe symptoms of COVID-19, which include the following:

• Difficulty breathing
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• Severe headache for a few days
• New confusion, inability to wake or stay awake
• Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds

In Suva-Nausori we have identified health facilities specifically designated to receive people with symptoms of severe COVID-19. If you or a loved one live in Suva-Nausori and have any of these severe symptoms please go immediately to the designated health facilities listed below.

– Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH)

– FEMAT Hospital, Vodafone Arena

Individuals in Nausori with severe symptoms should go to:

– Nausori Health Centre

– Wainibokasi Hospital

In the Western Division, please go to your nearest healthcare facility if you have any symptoms of COVID-19.

Call 165 if you are unable to travel to a medical facility. 

The public in the North is being reminded that it is important that people throughout Vanua Levu listen to advice and continue to practice COVID-19 safety measures. While all cases are related to operations on the Nabouwalu jetty, the first resided in Nabouwalu and the last 3 resided in the Namara Tiri Settlement which is near the township of Labasa.

The public is requested to practice COVID-19 safety measures of wearing a mask when leaving your home, wash your hands regularly with soap and water or use a hand sanitiser, practice safe physical distancing of 2m, ensure that the careFIJI app is downloaded on your phone and enabled and remember to get vaccinated.

Statement by the Permanent Secretary for Health & Medical Services

COVID-19 Situation Update

Friday, 27th August 2021

Bula Vinaka

This evening I wish to discuss with you how we are now seeing important shifts in the COVID-19 situation in Fiji.

Today we have 205 new cases of COVID-19 to confirm. It is not the total number of cases, but the location of these cases that is of greatest concern. We are now managing outbreaks in multiple locations across Fiji, including in some remote areas with limited healthcare infrastructure.

Outer Islands Response

As you are no doubt aware, the virus has now spread out of Viti Levu to Kadavu, Malolo island, and Naviti island in the Yasawa group. We have confirmed 29 new cases on Kadavu adding to a total of 164 active cases reported on the island. There remain 23 active cases reported in Malolo Island with investigations and further testing of contacts continuing.

We have dispatched a 55-member response team to Kadavu this week to assist with containment efforts on the island and offer treatment for those who develop severe disease.

In response to the situation in Malolo Island, we have deployed a public health team to rapidly map out a plan to contain the virus and also identify community members who are most at risk of severe disease. To ensure we are allocating our health resources best, all operations in Vunibaka are to stop immediately.

For Somosomo Village in Naviti, we expect the impact to be more severe. Over the weekend we will be deploying a team to Naviti to develop a plan to increase our capacity to provide critical care to patients, as well as put in place protective measures for those most vulnerable.

Unfortunately, our investigations and deployment to Kadavu, Malolo and Naviti have been delayed due to bad weather conditions, however, over the coming days, we hope to see quick measures being placed in these new areas of concern.

Northern Division Response

In response to the cases reported today in the Northern Division, the Namara Tiri Settlement has been placed into lockdown. Checkpoints will be set up at the 2 road entry points into the settlement.

The Nabouwalu index case –– the first Labasa case we confirmed –– is in stable condition and the members of their family have continued to test negative for the virus. All primary contacts’ exit swabs have also returned negative.

As regards the three positive cases in Namara Tiri Labasa, so far, we have established 60 primary contacts. All have been swabbed and have returned negative results. There are ongoing investigations to verify the final number of contacts.

Screening teams are sweeping the containment zone today and have collected 84 total swabs. Screening and swabbing are also being conducted at vaccination sites and all health stations in the Labasa area.

Most families in the Namara Tiri lockdown area are low-income earners and we know they will be heavily impacted by this lockdown. This is why we will be providing essential food and supplies to households in the lockdown area, with our teams making sure that COVID-19 safe measures are put in place when delivering these items.

Our contact tracing teams have identified the places where the second COVID-19 case went, and because of this, we will be placing a restricted movement for the greater Labasa Town Area. The reason for this is to reduce the risk of the virus spreading out of this area, as well as allowing time for our health teams to undertake screening of the local population. Under this restricted movement, the following measures will apply  to the greater Labasa Town area from tomorrow:

• The curfew will be from 8 pm to 4 am. If more cases are detected, these hours may change.
• Until further notice, all persons in a public place in the Provinces of Bua and Macuata, must wear a face covering, except with reasonable excuse. Children under 5 years are exempt from this requirement.
• The following essential businesses can remain open, but must apply strict COVID-19 protocols:
  • Supermarkets and shops selling food
  • Banks
  • Pharmacies; and
  • FNPF
• Restaurants can only open for delivery and takeaway services, no in-person dining.
• Other businesses, such as factories and shops, can open but must apply the following measures:
  • Vendors and businesses must ensure strict physical distancing. Customers in ques must be spaced two metres apart and no crowing.
  • Customer-facing businesses should limit customer capacity to 50%.
  • Businesses that do not manage these risks with COVID-safe plans will be shut down.
• Within the Labasa Town Area, higher-risk businesses, such as gyms, movie theatres, video gaming shops, cyber cafes, taverns, bars, billiard shops, and amusement arcades cannot open for at least the next 14 days.

We know that when applied and followed by the public, these strict containment measures are successful in reducing the spread and allow our health teams to identify and isolate people who may have been infected with the virus. In the North, this will buy us the precious time needed to allow our vaccination teams to reach all eligible adults for vaccination, in particular those most at risk of severe disease.

We are also strengthening our network of Northern screening clinics and encourage anyone who has COVID-18 symptoms to visit one immediately. We request that if people have these symptoms they do not go to their normal health centre as this puts others individuals at risk of the virus.

COVID-19 Deaths

We have eleven COVID deaths to report today. Three were fully vaccinated individuals who had existing medical conditions that placed them at higher risk of severe disease. I know that some of you have heard the recent claims made by certain members of the community that vaccines don’t work, but I want to start by reminding you that COVID-19 vaccines provide a person the best protection from becoming seriously ill, hospitalised, or dying from COVID-19.

Global studies and what we learn from other countries like the UK, show us how effective these vaccines are at reducing the number of persons who become seriously ill, hospitalised, or dying from COVID-19 by providing a person up to 92% protection. However, like any other vaccine, there is a small chance that people who have been partially or fully vaccinated can still get infected with COVID-19. And sadly fully vaccinated people can still get severe COVID-19 and die. 92% is not 100%. No vaccine offers 100% protection. Because the effectiveness of vaccines depends on an individual’s immune response, the risk of death in fully vaccinated individuals increases if someone has a medical condition that weakens their immune system (e.g. diabetes, heart disease, chronic kidney disease, obesity) or they are in an older age group. These deaths in fully vaccinated individuals are rare, however, we can expect to see these as we continue to see widespread transmission in our community.

However, the evidence is very clear that vaccines lower your risk of severe disease and death if you get infected with COVID-19. Of the 477 deaths recorded in Fiji during this outbreak: 371(77.8%) were not vaccinated, 103 were partially vaccinated (21.6%), and 3 (0.6%)were fully vaccinated. Therefore, 99.4% of people who have died due to COVID-19 in Fiji were not fully vaccinated.

Also, of the 11 deaths reported today, 2 were children. These losses show us a new picture of how the virus is impacting our community. The death of a child is always terrible and sadly COVID-19 does not discriminate. Whilst we know children are at significantly lower risk of suffering severe COVID-19, unfortunately as we continue to see the virus spread in our community, we will see children being infected and some tragically dying from COVID-19.

This is why I cannot reinforce enough, whilst COVID-19 vaccines are critically important, we must all continue to practice other COVID-19 safety measures if we want to see a drop in COVID-19 cases in our community. This means wearing a mask properly, keeping a physical distance from others outside our household, washing our hands regularly, and avoiding crowds. Without these measures, plus high levels of vaccination coverage, we can expect to see COVID-19 continue to spread in our communities and find those who are most vulnerable.

Due to a combination of steady vaccine administration and the adoption of COVID-safe measures, in the Central Division, we are happy to report we are seeing a reduction in the number of individuals being treated in hospitals and dying. Unfortunately, the situation in Western Division is getting worse, as we are seeing an intensifying outbreak. The containment area protocol in the Central division has prevented a concurrent rise in hospitalizations and deaths in both Divisions which would have complicated our medical response.

Reminder: Early treatment provides the best chance of recovery

I have said this before but I again want to remind people of how vital early treatment is to saving lives from COVID-19. We are still seeing a worrying trend of very severe cases showing up late at hospitals and, sadly, passing away before we can provide life-saving treatment. 78% of COVID-19 deaths during this outbreak occurred at home, or on the way to the hospital, or within 2 days of admission to the hospital – giving no or little opportunity for our clinical teams to provide potentially life-saving treatment.

And we know that many of these people had been trying to treat themselves at home with herbal medicines and steam baths. Whilst these treatments might be helping to alleviate some of their symptoms, they should not be a replacement for treatment at the hospital. COVID-19 is not like the common cold, it is a virus that our bodies have no immunity to protect ourselves against – unless you are vaccinated. For people who have severe COVID-19, for the majority, the key to their recovery will be placing them on oxygen therapy and a ventilator, as well as giving them specific medications.

For many of the individuals who died, there was a real chance that we may have been able to save them if only our health teams were able to see them earlier.

If you have severe flu-like symptoms, like difficulty breathing or chest pain, you need to call 165 now. If someone in your home has severe flu-like symptoms, you need to call 165 now. Do not wait. Those symptoms may not go away on their own, and by the time you call, it could be too late.

An internal audit of deaths during this crisis indicates that much of the adverse health-seeking behavior that predated this crisis has been potentiated by the misinformation and falsehoods promoted on social and mainstream media. It is even more unfortunate that people from the medical community have promoted this deadly misinformation –– doing so is an utter violation of the duty of care we owe the people of Fiji.

When we see instances of misinformation, we gather the facts and respond as quickly as possible. But the unfortunate reality about inflammatory misinformation is that it can spread far faster than the truth. To help us combat falsehoods and save lives, we are seeking communal support to help to identify persons vulnerable to severe COVID and pre-emptively engage them to have a plan that allows early identification of danger symptoms and signs so they can access clinical care.

Vaccination Update

As of the 26^th of August, 555,230 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 255,864 have received their second doses. This means that 94.6% of the target population have received at least one dose and 43.6% are now fully vaccinated nationwide.

Over the coming weeks, we will be going out into communities, especially those with low vaccination coverage, and reaching those who are unvaccinated.

We are also tracking any reports of side effects experienced after vaccination, otherwise known as adverse events. To date, we have recorded 56 reports and of these 51 were not serious and the usual side-effects experienced after a person is vaccinated.

In addition, we have conducted thorough investigations into 5 potential adverse events and following these investigations have determined none of these were as a result of the vaccine. These investigations were carried out by our specialist medical teams, in consultation with specialists from Australia and the World Health Organization.

Quarantine Facilities

I want to speak on some recent concerns raised about our quarantine facilities.

Lapses in quarantine protocols present a risk globally during the pandemic. I have a specific team led by Dr. Sam Fullman who together with a smaller military and police team will provide the leadership needed to strengthen our quarantine operations. A border health protection facility has been established in the CAAF compound in Namaka, Nadi, and this facility will be responsible for coordinating and overseeing quarantine operations.

We are also setting up a container laboratory in Namaka which has the capacity to process around 500 tests per day.

As part of the additional measures to strengthen our quarantine operations, we will also be enforcing the following measures:

1. Establishing a slot management system with Fiji Airways so we can put a cap on our quarantine capacity to more manageable levels;
2. Restricting international traveler entry to only fully vaccinated individuals (except in some emergency situations);
3. The requirement that all quarantine personnel engaged in quarantine operations are fully vaccinated;
4. CCTV support and oversight increased.

As part of these measures we also want to create a no-blame environment where our quarantine teams feel safe from discrimination for reporting any breaches or if feeling unwell.  At the end of the day, we can only work with lessons learned and improve. History has taught us many lessons, but the scale-up required by this crisis has been phenomenal and we need to continue to adapt and learn as we respond.

careFIJI Reminder

We’ve also received some queries on the usefulness of the careFIJI app. On Viti Levu, we are employing a mitigation strategy that does not rely heavily on contact tracing, it is still vital. We need to develop the habit of keeping the application turned on whenever we leave our homes because COVID containment and contact tracing are going to be part of our lives for the foreseeable future.

From lessons learned by other countries around the world that have high vaccination rates, we cannot relax our game even if we have high vaccination rates in Fiji. The protection offered by the vaccines is most effective when paired with other containment protocols, including strong contact tracing regimes. So keep using careFIJI. Particularly in the North and the outer islands where we are still aggressively contact tracing. It could save your life or the life of someone you love.

Thank you.