Category Public Advisory

COVID-19 Update – 24-02-2021

STATEMENT FROM THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH ON COVID-19 UPDATE

The Ministry of Health and Medical Services is announcing 1 new border quarantine case of #COVID19.
This is a 30-year-old male who travelled from Manila, Philippines, transiting through Hong Kong, arriving in Nadi on flight FJ1394 on February 18. He returned a weak positive result during routine testing while undergoing mandatory 14-day quarantine in a Government-designated border quarantine facility in Nadi.
He currently has no symptoms and had tested negative on pre-departure testing before departing for Fiji. Based on the weak positive test result, and current lack of symptoms, he is considered a historical case, who was likely infected and recovered multiple weeks or months before entering Fiji. It is known that non-infectious fragments of the virus can remain detectable, and cause a positive test result long after the infection has passed, and even after previous negative test results; therefore it is unlikely that this person is currently infectious. However, management of this case will follow our standard protocol for positive cases.
The individual was transferred to the isolation ward at the Lautoka hospital following the standard protocol for COVID-19 cases. The frontline border quarantine staff that may have had any contact with the case will be monitored and tested as a precaution according to our protocols.
A 58-year-old female also returned a weak positive test result during routine testing while undergoing mandatory 14-day quarantine in a Government-designated border quarantine facility in Nadi. She had travelled from Panama City, Panama, transiting through Los Angeles, arriving in Nadi on flight FJ1811 on February 18.
This individual had tested positive and was confirmed as a COVID-19 case in Panama in December 2020. She recovered and tested negative during subsequent tests, including a pre-departure test, before departing for Fiji. Based on the weak positive test results, her current lack of symptoms, and history of testing positive in Panama, this is considered a historical case, which will not be counted as a new case for Fiji. She is also unlikely to be infectious, though as a precaution, she has also been isolated.
Fiji has now had 57 cases in total, with 1 active case, 54 recoveries and 2 deaths, since our first case was reported on March 19, 2020. The last 39 cases have been international travel-associated cases detected in border quarantine. It has been 312 days since the last case was detected outside border quarantine on April 18, 2020.
A total of 29,626 laboratory tests have been conducted, with a daily average of 160 tests per day over the last 7 days, and a weekly average of 1048 tests per week over the last 2 weeks.
For more information on COVID-19 please visit the Ministry of Health and Medical Services web page http://www.health.gov.fj/covid-19-updates/
The next scheduled update will be on Friday 26 February.
COVID-19 Update – 19-02-2021

Media Release                                                                   

COVID-19 Update

19th February 2021

There are 0 new cases of COVID-19 to report in this update. It has been 18 days since the last border quarantine case was reported. There are currently 0 active cases.

It has been 307 days since the last case was detected outside border quarantine on April 18th 2020.

Fiji has had 56 cases in total, with 54 recoveries and 2 deaths, since our first case was reported on March 19th 2020. The last 38 cases have been international travel associated cases detected in border quarantine.

A total of 28,888 laboratory tests have been conducted, with a daily average of 137 tests per day over the last 7 days, and a weekly average of 1077 tests per week over the last 2 weeks.

For more information on COVID-19 in Fiji please visit the Ministry of Health and Medical Services web page http://www.health.gov.fj/covid-19-updates/

The next scheduled update will be on Monday February 22nd.

 

-ENDS-

COVID-19 Update – 17-02-2021

Media Release                                                                   

COVID-19 Update

17th February 2021

There are 0 new cases of COVID-19 to report in this update. It has been 16 days since the last case (a border quarantine case) was reported. There are currently 0 active cases.

It has been 305 days since the last case was detected outside border quarantine on April 18th, 2020.

Fiji has had 56 cases in total, with 54 recoveries and 2 deaths, since our first case was reported on March 19th, 2020. The last 38 cases have been international travel-associated cases detected in border quarantine.

A total of 28,503 laboratory tests have been conducted, with a daily average of 153 tests per day over the last 7 days, and a weekly average of 1077 tests per week over the last 2 weeks.

For more information on COVID-19 in Fiji please visit the Ministry of Health and Medical Services web page http://www.health.gov.fj/covid-19-updates/

The next scheduled update will be on Friday, February 19th.

 

-ENDS-

COVID-19 Update – 15-02-2021

 

Media Release                                                                   

COVID-19 Update

15th February 2021

There have been 0 new cases of COVID-19 to report in this update. It has been 14 days since the last case (a border quarantine case) was reported. There are currently 0 active cases.

Fiji has had 56 cases in total, with 54 recoveries and 2 deaths, since our first case was reported on March 19th 2020. The last 38 cases have been international travel associated cases detected in border quarantine.

It has been 303 days since the last case was detected outside border quarantine on April 18th 2020.

A total of 28,283 laboratory tests have been conducted, with a daily average of 167 tests per day over the last 7 days, and a weekly average of 1077 tests per week over the last 2 weeks.

For more information on COVID-19 in Fiji please visit the Ministry of Health and Medical Services web page http://www.health.gov.fj/covid-19-updates/

The next scheduled update will be on Wednesday February 18th.

 -ENDS-

Press Release – LTD Update

Press Release

LTD’s Update

The Ministry of Health & Medical Services has established “Clinical Teams” of Specialists in addition to the many Public Health workers performing outreach programs in Sigatoka, Rakiraki, Navosa, Nadarivatu, Nabouwalu, and Savusavu. The teams will facilitate community awareness and public health measures to reduce the risk of the spread of Leptospirosis, Typhoid, and Dengue (LTD’s) and will further ensure that community screening remains the priority for early diagnosis and treatment of LTD’s and any other undiagnosed medical problems.

The recent natural disasters have escalated the surge in communicable diseases such as LTD’s in various sub-divisions and every effort is made to contain further spread of the diseases.

The current trends according to baseline thresholds for each disease indicates that
1. Leptospirosis is above the expected level for this time of the year throughout the nation,
2. Dengue is below expected levels nationally except in Levuka. There is a risk of a rise in cases, especially in the North, once the rainfall slows down and there is an increase in stagnant water pooling
3. Typhoid is below the expected level- except for some clusters in Wainikoro and Naduri medical areas in the North.

The Ministry has recorded 160 Leptospirosis cases nationally with an Incidence Rate of 18.0/100,000 population and 5 confirmed deaths while 335 confirmed Dengue Fever cases with an Incidence Rate of 23.6/100,000 population and 1 confirmed death.

Similarly, we have 53 Typhoid cases nationwide with an Incidence Rate of 5.9/100,000 population and 1 confirmed death.
The Ministry strongly advises people to be mindful of the sources of these diseases and adhere to the advisories issued for the prevention of LTD’s.
The Clinical Teams will be slowly returning to their base Divisional hospitals while the preventative health community colleagues will continue to work in collaboration with the community to manage and control the case clusters as they are identified.

The Health Ministry further states, it is imperative that we maintain control over the risk of LTD’s as we prepare for COVID-19 vaccinations which is expected to commence soon.