Last Updated on 3 years by Publishing Team

Media Release

Transmission Update

We have recorded 241 new cases in the 24 hour period ending at 8.00am today.

5 cases are prison officers from Suva at the Fiji Sugar Corporation Compound in Rakiraki. They were undergoing 14 days quarantine at the FSC compound as part of essential movement from red zone to green zone when they tested positive.

The remaining cases are from the Lami-Suva-Nausori containment zone. There are 106 from existing areas of interest and 17 from the following new areas of interest: Fiji Times, Food City Suva, Matanisivoro Settlement, National Kidney Centre-Nadera, Suva City Council, Tamavua-i-Wai.

The remaining cases are contacts of known cases, cases that were seen in screening clinics and were swabbed, and cases under investigation to determine possible sources of transmission. A full breakdown of areas of interest has been published online on the Ministry’s COVID-19 dashboard and on the Fijian Government Facebook page. You can also view the approximate locations of the new cases on the Ministry’s COVID-19 dashboard at the following link http://bit.ly/3vE2ZBb

Sadly, there is a new COVID-19 death to report. This is a 50 year old man from Newtown who is believed to have died at home and was declared dead on arrival by doctors at the Valelevu Health Centre. He was reported to be in severe respiratory distress before death. According to protocol he was swabbed at the health centre, and tested positive. His death has been classified as a COVID-19 death by the doctors at the health centre. He had received the first dose of the vaccine early this month.He was not fully vaccinated.

A death previously reported as under investigation has now been classified as a COVID-19 death by doctors. This is a 62 year old man from Grantham Rd who presented to the FEMAT field hospital in respiratory distress and died on the same day. He had been having respiratory symptoms, including shortness of breath, for at least a week before presenting to FEMAT. According to protocol he was swabbed and tested positive for COVID-19. He was not vaccinated.

There have now been 17 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 15 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. 1 death is still under investigation to determine if it was caused by COVID-19. We also have recorded 8 COVID-19 positive patients that died from the pre-existing non-COVID-19 related illnesses that they had been receiving treatment for at the CWM Hospital.

There are currently 21 COVID-19 patients with severe illness admitted at CWM Hospital.

There have been 26  new recoveries reported since the last update, which means that there are now 3027 active cases in isolation. There have been 3762 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 3832 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 779 recoveries.

Testing Update

A total of 150,878 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 193,739 tested since testing began in early 2020. 2577 tests have been reported for June 26th. Updated testing numbers from the Tamavua Twomey Laboratory have been received for 25th June, therefore the total testing number for that day has been updated. The national 7-day daily test average is 2930 tests per day or 3.3 tests per 1000 population. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 7.9% and continues on an upward trend.

Screening Update

In the last 24 hours, a total of 490 individuals were screened and 65 swabbed by our mobile screening teams bringing our cumulative total to 659,926 individuals screened and 53,234 swabbed since the start of this mobile screening program. A total of 1138 individuals were screened and 279 swabbed at our 56 stationery screening clinics throughout the country. This brings our cumulative total to 211,474 screened and 27,598 swabbed at the stationery screening clinics to date.

Vaccination Update

22,837 first doses and 25,329 second doses were administered nationally in the last 7 days. The total numbers of vaccination completed nationwide to date are 278,954 first doses which is 49% of the target population,  and 43,345 second doses or 6.12% of the target population.

Epidemic Outlook

The 7 day average of new cases per day has increased to 250 cases per day or 283 cases per million population per day. Our daily testing numbers have remained at a high level, and yet our test positivity continues to increase. All the evidence is that there is widespread community transmission in the Lami-Suva-Nausori containment zone. This means the outbreak is not confined to specific areas and everyone should take the necessary precautions and prevent themselves and their loved ones getting infected.

There are clusters of active cases in Naitasiri and one cluster in Korovou. There continue to be cases reported in Nadi, but so far they are from within the containment zone in the Nawajikuma, Nawakalevu, and Tramline containment area.

In Lautoka, there are 3 active cases currently, as announced previously.

There are 5 cases contained in quarantine at the Ra FSC compound as part of essential movement from red to green zones.

To date, this outbreak appears contained to Viti Levu, with the Northern and Eastern divisions yet to detect a case.

Advice to the public

Stay home as much as possible, but if you have to leave your home, wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth, make sure you have the careFiji app downloaded and Bluetooth on if you have a smartphone, keep at least 2 metres between yourself and others outside your home. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, or use an alcohol based hand sanitizer. Avoid crowds, and crowded, confined places.