Last Updated on 3 years by Publishing Team

Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Friday 30th July 2021

Transmission Update

We have 1,163 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8 am today. 483 cases are from the Western Division and 680 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 and on the Fijian Government Facebook page. 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 have been 244 new recoveries reported since the last update, which means that there are now 21,109 active cases. 18,211 active cases are in the Central Division and 2,898 in the West. All cases that were recorded in the Northern and Eastern Divisions (cases that were imported from Viti Levu) have recovered and there are no active cases currently in those divisions.

There have been 28,590 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 28,660 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 7,195 recoveries.

Deaths

We have 6 new COVID-19 deaths to report for the period of 19 July to 29th July.

The first COVID-19 death to report is an 11-month-old infant from Delaivalelevu. He was brought to CWM Hospital where he was assessed by the paediatric specialist team to be in severe respiratory distress. He was reported by his family to have had a fever and fast breathing at home for 3 days before coming to the hospital. Sadly, his condition worsened in the hospital and he died on the same day (19/07/2021). He was not vaccinated; he was not in the target population of people 18 years and over that are eligible to receive the vaccine.

The second COVID-19 death to report is an 80-year-old woman from Lami who died at home on 29/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The third COVID-19 death to report is a 61-year-old man from Suva who died at home on 29/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The fourth COVID-19 death to report is a 53-year-old man from Lami who died at home on 29/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The fifth COVID-19 death to report is a 78-year-old woman from Sawani Village who died at home on 28/07/2021. Her family reported that she had generalized weakness and lethargy for one week prior. She was not vaccinated.

The sixth COVID-19 death to report is a 60-year-old man from Wainibuku. He presented to a health facility in severe respiratory distress. A medical team retrieved him from the health facility and brought him to the CWM hospital. His condition worsened at the hospital and he died one day after admission (29/07/2021). He was not vaccinated.

There have been 4 more deaths of COVID-19 positive patients. However, their 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 233 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 231 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. The 7 day rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 9. We also have recorded 123 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 313 COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital. 34 patients are admitted to Lautoka hospital. In Suva, 88 patients are admitted at the FEMAT field hospital, and 191 were admitted at CWM hospital, St Giles, and Makoi. 53 patients are considered to be in severe condition, and 11 are in critical condition.

Screening Update

A total of 6,265 individuals were screened and 1,082 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 384,200 individuals screened and 70,744 swabbed to date. As of the 29th of July our mobile screening teams screened a total of 5,975 individuals and swabbed 223. This brings our cumulative total to 765,237 individuals screened and 67,612 swabbed by our mobile teams.

Testing update

A total of 266,882 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 309,743 tested since testing began in March 2020. 3451 tests have been reported for July 28th. Based on available data the national 7-day daily test average is 3247 tests per day or 3.7 tests per 1,000 population. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 27.5%.

Vaccination Update

As of 29th July, 473,716 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 131,979 have received their second doses. This means that 81% of the target population have received at least one dose and 22.5% are now fully vaccinated nationwide.

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 976 cases per day or 1103 cases per million population per day. Daily cases numbers remain high, and daily test positivity remains high, indicating ongoing widespread community transmission in the Suva-Nausori containment zone. Cases are also increasing in the West with evidence of community transmission in that division. The Northern and Eastern Divisions currently have no active cases.

Advice to the public

For people with COVID-19 symptoms in Suva-Nausori:

Community transmission within the Suva-Nausori containment zone is at a very high level. This means that anyone who develops symptoms of COVID-19 in Suva-Nausori should assume that they have COVID-19. Most people infected with COVID-19 will have mild symptoms like cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever, loss of taste or smell, body ache, or headache, and will fully recover at home with no medical intervention necessary. People who have any of these symptoms and are not within a group that is at higher risk for developing severe COVID-19 will no longer be tested for COVID-19 and should stay at home, strictly self-isolate for 14 days, and continue to monitor their symptoms for severe COVID-19. If you develop any signs of severe COVID-19, like difficulty breathing or chest pain, please go immediately to one of our dedicated health facilities:

– Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH)
– FEMAT Hospital, Vodafone Arena
Individuals in Nausori with severe symptoms should go to:
– Nausori Health Centre
-Wainibokasi Hospital

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

However, if you or someone you are caring for has mild symptoms but is at high risk of severe COVID – in particular individuals over 50 years, have a chronic illness such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, asthma, are obese, or are pregnant – we need you to visit one of our screening clinics and get tested. If you test positive, then we will ensure you are provided immediate care by our health teams.

1.) For symptomatic workers who need official leave from work, they are recommended to attend the nearest screening clinic to be checked and to obtain a medical certificate for the 14 days of home isolation.

2.) Symptomatic workers can also obtain a medical certificate for the 14 days self-isolation at home from participating General Practitioners (GPs).

For people anywhere else in Fiji:

Please call 158 or go to your nearest screening clinic for testing if you have any symptoms of COVID-19. If you do leave your home to go to a screening clinic: please wear a mask that covers your mouth and nose, keep at least 2 metres between yourself and others outside your household, wash your hands with soap and water frequently or use a hand sanitiser, and download and activate the careFIJI app if you have a smartphone, and avoid using public transport. Also call 158 if you have been in contact with someone confirmed as a case of COVID-19.