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Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Sunday, 19^th September 2021 

Transmission Update

We have 79 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8 am today. 35 cases are from the Western Division and 44 cases are from the Central Division.

There have been 82 new recoveries to report since the last update, which means that there are now 12,981 active cases. 1,252 of the active cases are in the Central Division, 11,419 active cases in the Western Division, 1 active case in the Northern Division (Macuata), and 309 active cases in the Eastern Division (all in Kadavu).

There have been 49,889 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 49,959 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 36,011 recoveries. We are currently reviewing and reconciling our active case database with deaths and recoveries and as a result, we expect the death and recovery numbers to intermittently change as verifications are made.

Deaths

We have no new COVID-19 deaths today.

There has been one death of a COVID-19 positive patient. However, this death has been classified as a non-COVID death by their doctors. The doctors have determined that this death was caused by a serious pre-existing medical condition and not COVID-19.

There have now been 566 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 564 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 days 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 September 14th, the national 7 days rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 1.1. The 7 days rolling average for COVID-19 deaths per day in the Central Division is 0.6 and 0.6 in the Western Division.

We also have recorded 401 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 115 COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital. 34 patients are admitted at the Lautoka Hospital and 81 are admitted at CWM hospital, St Giles, and Makoi. 6 patients are considered to be in severe condition, and 3 are in critical condition.

Screening Update

A total of 5,133 individuals were screened and 174 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 623,734 individuals screened and 97,120 swabbed to date. Our mobile screening teams screened a total of 669 individuals and swabbed 78. This brings our cumulative total to 838,103 individuals screened and 75,400 swabbed by our mobile teams.

Testing Update

A total of 355,992 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 398,853 tested since testing began in March 2020. 829 tests have been reported for September 18th. The 7-day daily test average is 1,210 tests per day or 1.4 tests per 1,000 population. Weekly testing is at 8 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 12%, which is on a downward trend but still indicating a high level of community transmission.

Vaccination Update 

To date, 587,948 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 387,320 have received their second doses. This means that 98% of the target population have received at least one dose and 66% 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.

For persons who are currently ill or have valid reasons for delaying their vaccination, we request you to apply for possible temporary exemptions through covidexemptionreq@gmail.com.

Epidemic Outlook

The 7-day average of new cases per day is 139 cases per day or 157 cases per million population per day. As previously announced by the Permanent Secretary, the daily case numbers in the Suva-Nausori corridor 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.

No new cases were recorded in Kadavu in the last 24 hours. The 53 active cases on the island are distributed between 13 villages and 1 settlement and are followed up daily by the health team. Thirteen patients are currently admitted at Vunisea hospital, of which 6 are COVID positive and currently in stable condition, while 7 are negative for COVID-19. Education and awareness sessions continue for the villages and communities. The outreach teams are engaged in contact tracing, follow-up of positive cases, vaccination, and management of isolation and quarantine activities. Movement restrictions remain in force supervised by the Police team and the Vanua.

No new cases were reported for Malolo, Naviti, Waya, and Nacula Islands in the last 24 hours. Daily assessment continues for the active cases and their contacts. Movement restrictions remain in force for all villages in the 4 islands.

No new cases were recorded on Beqa Island in the last 24 hours. The 179 active cases are on daily monitoring by the health team. Movement restrictions remain in force for the whole island

Public Updates and Advice:

Vaccination of Eligible Children

Vaccination of eligible children aged 15 to 17 years with the Moderna vaccine begins tomorrow Monday, 20th September 2021. Online registration is open and parents are encouraged to register their children before vaccination. The vaccination sites for children can be obtained from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services Facebook page as well as the Government Facebook page. Parental or guardian consent is mandatory before vaccination. No vaccine will be administered to any child without the consent of the parent or guardian.

Vaccination for children aged 12 to 17 years is safe. Similar to adults, children can also experience the side effects of COVID-19 vaccination such as pain, swelling at the jab site, fever, and body aches. These symptoms should subside over a few days. Severe side effects are rare and the risk of getting a severe infection and succumbing to COVID-19 is still higher than the risk of adverse events from vaccination. Therefore, parents and guardians are encouraged to agree for their children to be vaccinated to protect them from COVID-19.

Border Health Protection

The Border Health Protection Unit (BHPU) has been established to oversee and facilitate the health protection activities and programs conducted at our border and ports of entry to ensure our protection against trans-border infectious disease spread. The unit will work together with the relevant military, police, and border control units providing the leadership and support needed to strengthen our quarantine operations. Our quarantine protocols are currently undergoing review to define green list countries and/or areas and revise the pre-departure and in-country quarantine and testing protocols for fully vaccinated travelers. In keeping with the science, it is anticipated that pre-departure, quarantine, and in-country testing conditions for fully vaccinated persons from “green” listed countries will be less stringent than then-current conditions.

The BHPU Facility has been established in the CAAF compound in Namaka, Nadi, and this facility will be responsible for coordinating and overseeing quarantine operations.  Their function will be supplemented by a container laboratory that has arrived and is situated close to the border health protection facility.  As a result of an ongoing collaborative effort between WHO, DFAT, ADB, Fiji Airways, and the Government, the laboratory will have the capacity to process around 500 tests per day. In addition, the Unit will also facilitate the following programs and actions at the border:

1. Establish a Slot Management System with the support of Fiji Airways to manage our quarantine capacity at designated quarantine facilities;
2. Enforce the restriction on inbound international travelers to only fully vaccinated individuals (except in some emergencies);
3. Enforce the requirement for all quarantine personnel engaged in quarantine operations to be fully vaccinated;
4. Engage advanced technologies and CCTV support that support and facilitate improved border health surveillance and oversight.
5. Establish and inculcate a no-blame work culture and environment that allow quarantine officers to freely report on breaches of COVID safe protocols or symptoms of disease identified in any individual at the border.

Lifting of Lockdown Borders

With the relaxation of movement restrictions on Viti Levu, we remind the public that the threat of community transmission is real, and is higher with unregulated travel. The potential for transmission in any community will be slower and the ability to contain the outbreak better if we achieve a high vaccination rate and maintain strict adherence to COVID safe measures. Therefore, we encourage everyone to become fully vaccinated and to continue to practice COVID safe measures at all times.

Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Saturday, 18^th September 2021 

Transmission Update

We have 161 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8 am today. 101 cases are from the Western Division, 56 cases are from the Central Division while 4 cases are from the Eastern Division.

There have been 10 new recoveries to report since the last update, which means that there are now 12,985 active cases. 1,230 of the active cases are in the Central Division, 11,445 active cases in the Western Division, 1 active case in the Northern Division (Macuata), and 309 active cases in the Eastern Division (all in Kadavu).

There have been 49,810 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 49,880 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 35,929 recoveries. We are currently reviewing and reconciling our active case database with deaths and recoveries and as a result, we expect the death and recovery numbers to intermittently change as verifications are made.

Deaths

We have no new COVID-19 deaths today.

There have now been 566 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 564 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 days 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 September 13th, the national 7 days rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 1.4. The 7 days rolling average for COVID-19 deaths per day in the Central Division is 0.9 and 0.6 in the Western Division.

We also have recorded 400 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 107 COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital. 32 patients are admitted at the Lautoka Hospital, 0 patients are admitted at the FEMAT field hospital, while 75 are admitted at CWM hospital, St Giles, and Makoi. 9 patients are considered to be in severe condition, and 3 are in critical condition.

Screening Update

A total of 6,100 individuals were screened and 298 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 618,601 individuals screened and 96,946 swabbed to date. Our mobile screening teams screened a total of 592 individuals and swabbed 123. This brings our cumulative total to 837,434 individuals screened and 75,322 swabbed by our mobile teams.

Testing Update

A total of 355,020 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 397,881 tested since testing began in March 2020. 816 tests have been reported for September 17th. The 7-day daily test average is 1,187 tests per day or 1.3 tests per 1,000 population. Weekly testing is at 8 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 13.4%, which is on a downward trend but still indicating a high level of community transmission.

Vaccination Update 

To date, 586,737 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 386,287 have received their second doses. This means that 97.9% of the target population have received at least one dose and 65.8% 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.

For persons who are currently ill or have valid reasons for delaying their vaccination, we request you to apply for possible temporary exemptions through covidexemptionreq@gmail.com.

Epidemic Outlook

The 7-day average of new cases per day is 146 cases per day or 165 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.

Kadavu recorded 5 new cases in the last 24 hours bringing the total number of cases to 526. Fourteen patients are currently admitted at Vunisea hospital, of which 6 are COVID positive and currently in stable condition, and 8 are negative for COVID-19. Education and awareness sessions continue for the villages and communities. Movement restrictions remain in force supervised by the Police team and the Vanua. A team of 17 FEMAT clinical, logistics, Ambulance crew and Lands Ministry officials are returning today from Kadavu after the completion of the acute phase of the response.

Three new cases have been reported for Malolo Island in the last 24 hours – 2 in Solevu village and 1 in Yaro village. 44 individuals have recovered and 19 remain active cases. Daily assessment continues for the active cases and their contacts. Four high-risk cases are stable and remain in home isolation. Movement restrictions remain in force for all villages on Malolo Island.

Thirty new cases have been reported in the villages of Muaira, Soso, Marou, and Yasawa High School on Naviti Island in the last 24 hours. Of the total of 173 cases on the island, 90 individuals have recovered while 83 cases remain active and under surveillance by the health team. Movement restrictions are in place for all villages.

No new cases were recorded on Waya Island in the last 24 hours. 25 active cases remain under home isolation in their villages with a daily assessment conducted by the Yalobi nursing station health team. The island is still under strict movement restrictions.

No new cases were diagnosed in Nacula village on Nacula Island in the last 24 hours. The 29 positive cases are under isolation in their respective villages and monitored daily by the health team from Nacula health center. Strict movement restriction remains in place for the whole island.

The community engagement team together with the health team visited Viwa Island and conducted an assessment in the 2 villages and I settlement on the island. 78 NP swabs were taken and 29 individuals received the first dose of the COVID vaccine.

Eighteen new cases were recorded in Dakuibeqa village on Beqa Island in the last 24 hours. This brings the total number of cases to 180, of which 179 are active cases and are on daily monitoring by the health team. Today is day 9 of the movement restriction that remains in force for the whole island.

Public Updates and Advice:

With the relaxation of movement restrictions on Viti Levu, we remind all communities that the threat of community transmission is always real, and is higher with unregulated travel. With a high vaccination rate and with strict adherence to covid safe measures, the potential for transmission in any community will be slower and the ability to contain the outbreak, better. Therefore, we encourage everyone to become fully vaccinated and to continue to practice COVID safe measures at all times.

Vaccination of Eligible Children

Vaccination of eligible children aged 15 to 17 years with the Moderna vaccine from Monday 20th September 2021. Online registration is open and parents are encouraged to register their children before vaccination. Parental or guardian consent is mandatory before vaccination. No vaccine will be given to any child without the consent of the parent or guardian.

Vaccination for children aged 12 to 17 years is safe. Similar to adults, children can also experience the side effects of COVID-19 vaccination such as pain, swelling at the jab site, fever, and body aches. These symptoms should subside over a few days. Severe side effects are rare and the risk of getting a severe infection and succumbing to COVID-19 is still higher than the risk of adverse events from vaccination. Therefore, parents and guardians are encouraged to agree for their children to be vaccinated to protect them from COVID-19.

Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Friday, 17^th September 2021

Transmission Update

We have 132 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8 am today. 36 cases are from the Western Division, 95 cases are from the Central Division and 1 case is from the Eastern Division.

There have been 233 new recoveries to report since the last update, which means that there are now 12,834 active cases. 1,185 active cases are in the Central Division, 11,343 active cases in the Western Division, 1 active case in the Northern Division (Macuata), and 305 active cases in the Eastern Division (all in Kadavu).

There have been 49,649 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 49,719 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 35,919 recoveries. We are currently reviewing and reconciling our active case database with deaths and recoveries and as a result, we expect the death and recovery numbers to intermittently change as verifications are made.

Deaths

We have 3 new COVID-19 deaths to report for the period of 09th-15th September 2021. All deaths were reported from the Western Division.

The first COVID-19 death to report is a 56-year-old man from Tavua who died at home on 11/09/2021. He received the first dose of the vaccine in mid-July. He did not receive the second dose of the vaccine. This means that he was not fully vaccinated.

The second COVID-19 death to report is a 75-year-old man from Tavua. He presented to the Tavua Hospital in severe respiratory distress. Sadly, he died two days after admission on 09/09/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The third COVID-19 death to report is a 48-year-old man from Tavua. He presented to the Tavua Hospital in severe respiratory distress. Sadly, he died on the same day (15/09/2021). He was not vaccinated.

As mentioned above and following further review, we have an additional nineteen COVID-19 deaths to report for the period of 03rd July 2021- 11th August 2021. All these deaths were reported from the Central Division. An analysis of the nineteen deaths have highlighted that individuals were aged between 43 to 94 years, 58% (n=11) were males, 84% (n=16) of the individuals died at home or on their way to the hospital and 89.5% (n=17) of these deaths were unvaccinated, the remaining 10.5% (n=2) received only one dose of the vaccine. This means that there were no deaths of individuals who were fully vaccinated.

There have also been 21 more deaths of COVID-19 positive patients. However, these deaths have been classified as non-COVID deaths by their doctors. The doctors have determined that these deaths were caused by serious pre-existing medical conditions and not COVID-19.

There have now been 566 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 564 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 September 12th, the national 7 day rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 1.7. The 7 day rolling average for COVID-19 deaths per day in the Central Division is 1 and in the Western Division is 0.7.

We also have recorded 400 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 114 COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital. 35 patients are admitted at the Lautoka Hospital, 3 patients are admitted at the FEMAT field hospital, and 76 are admitted at CWM hospital, St Giles, and Makoi. 8 patients are considered to be in severe condition, and 3 are in critical condition.

Screening Update

A total of 10,095 individuals were screened and 488 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 612,501 individuals screened and 96,648 swabbed to date. Our mobile screening teams screened a total of 2,043 individuals and swabbed 201. This brings our cumulative total to 836,842 individuals screened and 75,199 swabbed by our mobile teams.

Testing Update

A total of 354,153 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 397,014 tested since testing began in March 2020. 1,510 tests have been reported for September 16th. The 7-day daily test average is 1,251 tests per day or 1.4 tests per 1,000 population. Weekly testing is at 8 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 12.2%, which is on a downward trend but still indicating a high level of community transmission.

Vaccination Update 

To date, 584,096 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 381,209 have received their second doses. This means that 97.8% of the target population have received at least one dose and 65% 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.

Epidemic Outlook

The 7-day average of new cases per day is 143 cases per day or 162 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.

31 new cases were recorded in Kadavu in the last 24 hours bringing the total number of cases to 521. Twelve patients are currently admitted at Vunisea hospital, of which 7 are COVID positive and currently in stable condition, and 5 are negative for COVID-19. Mobile outreach teams continue with their visits to villages and settlements carrying out a follow-up of primary contacts, monitoring of positive patients and clearance, roll out of COVID-19 vaccination, MCH clinic, and immunization of babies, GOPD consultation, and SOPD clinic with medicine replenishment. Medical education sessions were conducted for the Vunisea health team. A clinical outreach team conducted clinics at Ravitaki nursing station. Movement restrictions remain in force supervised by the Police team and the Vanua.

No new cases have been reported for Malolo Island in the last 24 hours. 44 individuals have recovered and 19 remain active cases. Daily assessment continues for the active cases and their contacts. Six high-risk cases are stable and remain in home isolation. The health team visited Mana Island and conducted screening and awareness sessions. Movement restrictions remain in force for all villages on Malolo Island.

Five new cases have been reported on Naviti Island in the last 24 hours. Of the total of 143 cases on the island, 80 individuals have recovered while 63 cases remain active and under surveillance by the health team. Movement restrictions are in place for all villages.

No new cases were recorded on Waya Island in the last 24 hours. 25 individuals remain as active cases and under home isolation in their villages with a daily assessment conducted by the Yalobi nursing station health team. The island is still under strict movement restrictions.

Two new cases were diagnosed in Nacula village on Nacula Island in the last 24 hours bringing the total number of cases on the island to 29. The positive cases are under isolation in their respective villages and monitored daily by the health team from Nacula health center. The other 4 villages and one settlement on the island have not recorded any positive cases to date. Strict movement restriction remains in place for the whole island.

Beqa Island has recorded 44 new cases in the last 24 hours. This brings the total number of cases to 162, of which 161 are active cases and are on daily monitoring by the health team. 168 swab tests were done in the last 24 hours, and education and awareness on COVID safe measures and vaccination continue for the villagers on the island. Movement restriction remains in force for the whole island.

Public Updates and Advice:

The Opening of Local Borders

With the opening of all local borders in Viti Levu, the Ministry considers the local repatriation of citizens to their homes as an important part of the COVID-19 operations. Hence, we have established quarantine corridors to facilitate the safe local repatriation of our citizens. To date, none of the repatriations that have gone through our quarantine corridor has resulted in viral spread into the community. The current outbreaks in a number of our maritime communities have been caused by individuals undertaking unauthorized travel that have bypassed our COVID safe protocols.

Therefore, over the coming weeks, we will increase our capability to facilitate repatriation by the creation of safe and secure quarantine corridors that will mitigate the infection risks associated with unregulated travel. Community support towards these quarantine corridor protocols will greatly assist in ensuring that the risk of unregulated travel into communities unaffected by the virus to date remains minimal. With the additional capability, we hope to improve on the current rate of local repatriation without compromising the safety and health status of the destination communities.

We also remind all communities that the threat of community transmission is always real, and is higher with unregulated travel. With a high vaccination rate and with strict adherence to covid safe measures, the potential for transmission in a community will be slower and the ability to contain the outbreak, better. Therefore, we encourage everyone to become fully vaccinated and to continue to practice COVID safe measures at all times.

For those wishing to sell produce along with Queens and Kings, we expect vendors and travelers to be fully vaccinated, wear masks appropriately at all times, and practice hand hygiene. The exchange of goods and money needs to follow protocols provided by the Ministry of Health and Medical Services. Soon, we will publish the vaccination rates of all areas along the King and Queen’s highways and other major routes so that travelers know which areas are safest to stop to take a rest, fill in fuel, buy vegetables, coconuts to drink, or hot corn or BBQ to eat. Everyone should read that list carefully before getting in their vehicle and heading anywhere on Viti Levu. Our advice is to avoid areas with lower vaccination coverage.

Vaccination of Eligible Children

Vaccination of eligible children aged 15 to 17 years with the Moderna vaccine from Monday 20th September 2021. Online registration is open and parents are encouraged to register their children before vaccination. Parental or guardian consent is mandatory before vaccination. No vaccine will be given without the consent of parents or guardians.

Vaccination for children aged 12 to 17 years is safe. Similar to adults, children can also experience the side effects of COVID-19 vaccination such as pain, swelling at the jab site, fever, and body aches. These symptoms should subside over a few days. Severe side effects are rare and the risk of getting a severe infection and succumbing to COVID-19 is still higher than the risk of adverse events from vaccination. Therefore, parents and guardians are encouraged to agree for their children to be vaccinated to protect them from COVID-19.

Statement by the Permanent Secretary for Health & Medical Services

 Rollout of the Moderna vaccine for children aged 15-17 years

Thursday 16^th September 2021

Bula Vinaka.

As of today, 580504 Fijians, or 97.7 % of adults in Fiji have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 372434 or 63.5% have stepped up for their second dose and are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.  I would like to thank everyone who has come forward and received their first and second dose and encourage those who are still to receive their second dose to come forward when it is due. There simply is no substitute for the full protection of vaccines.

Our target population to date has been eligible Fijians above the age of 18. Virtually, all adults in Fiji. Today, I want to discuss the next phase of our vaccine rollout, which will include young people aged 15 to 17 years.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a tough fight for us all, and it has been especially hard on our children who have been away from school since April of this year. The pandemic has disrupted their education, their learning and development, and the necessary life and social skills they gain by interacting with other children at school. The safest and most sustainable way to get our young people back into the classroom and keep them there is vaccines.

The Ministry of Health and Medical Services and the Ministry of Education, Heritage, and the Arts share a long history of collaboration in vaccinating children against serious diseases, like measles. Now, our task is to protect young Fijians from COVID-19. Together, our ministries will begin the rollout of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 15 and 17 years old across Fiji. We have decided to vaccinate children aged 15 and 17 years old first, as these children are mostly in secondary school and some of them are nearing the end of their secondary education. Under the advice of the Ministry of Education, we have been told that the Year 12s and Year 13s also need to sit external exams to progress onto higher education. Details of how this will progress will be announced later by the Ministry of Education.

Vaccination for those in the 12- to 14-year-old age group will be announced at a later date.

Details of the rollout plan

Through the Ministry of Education, the Moderna vaccine will be rolled out by school clusters within the four divisions. Schools that are close by to each other will group to form a cluster, where their student rolls of 15 and 17-year-olds can get vaccinated.

The dates, clusters, and venues for these schools will be announced this weekend for the rollout to begin on Monday, 20^th September.

Children will need to receive two doses of the Moderna vaccine which is administered at a dosing interval of 28 days. As parents and guardians, you will be asked to sign a consent form for children receiving this vaccine. You will also be able to register your child online before he or she receives the first dose of the Moderna vaccine. The online registration of children through the Vaccine Registry portal will be available from Saturday before the onsite vaccination campaign beginning this coming Monday.

We will not make it mandatory for children to be vaccinated, though it is the best choice any young person can make for their health and the health of others. Details and dates for when school can safely resume will be announced by the Permanent Secretary for Education in her statement.

Moderna and Pfizer are safe vaccines for children

Children within the 15 – 17-year-old age group will receive the Moderna vaccine, while younger children from 12-14 years will be given the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. The roll-out for the Pfizer vaccine will be announced later but the approach will be similar to the Moderna vaccine roll-out for 15-17-year-olds. Like Moderna, the Pfizer vaccine has been approved as safe and effective for children 12 years and older. Clinical trials done among thousands of children showed an overwhelming outcome of safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines (Moderna and Pfizer) so far approved for children.  The vaccines protect children against severe illness, hospitalization, and even death from COVID-19.

I would like to assure all parents and guardians in Fiji that these vaccines are safe and have completed all necessary clinical trials for safety and efficacy for children aged 15 and 17. Absolutely no shortcuts were taken in granting approval of these vaccines for children and it continues to be monitored for safety.

As is normal for vaccines, some children may face mild side effects from the vaccines, however, this does not last long. Common side effects may include:

• Pain
• Redness
• Swelling

On the arm that the vaccine was administered and in some cases:

• Headache
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Fatigue
• Chills
• Fever

If your child experiences some of these side effects after receiving their vaccination, that is a sign that your child’s immune system is learning to fight the virus. You can treat this at home by giving your child the normal dose of paracetamol, and keeping your child hydrated, and having them take a lot of rest. If your child does not have any side effects this does not mean that the vaccine is not working; it is just that each individual’s body reacts differently to vaccines. This is perfectly normal.

The Moderna vaccine is currently being administered to children of the same age in the United Kingdom, the United States, across the European Union, and in Australia and has a 95 percent effectiveness in preventing symptomatic infection and protecting our children from severe illness, hospitalisation, and death due to COVID-19 whilst Pfizer, which has a 92% protection is being administered to children in New Zealand. We have seen how relentless the COVID-19 virus can be, with the deaths of five children, the youngest being 2 months old in Fiji and that is why we have been exploring all avenues at our disposal to find vaccines that are safe and effective for our children.

Like any other vaccine, there is a small chance that children who have been partially or fully vaccinated can still get infected with COVID-19. Though it is exceedingly rare, fully vaccinated people can still get severe COVID-19. And, in even less likely instances, even die. 95% is not 100%. No vaccine offers 100% protection. But 95% is much better than zero. By far, these vaccines and the protection they offer are the best defense we have to keep our children safe against COVID-19.

The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education are also using all avenues available to us to ensure the safety of your children at school through, the vaccination program; enforcement of Covid Safe measures; instituting environmental control measures; and establishing Tests and Trace surveillance protocols in schools. A team of technical persons from the Education and Medical sectors will be working together to identify and implement measures based on lessons learned from other countries to ensure the safety of children as they return to school. The overall intention is to utilize the opening of year 12 and 13 classes to refine the strategies we have in place in a way that is relevant to our local context.

These measures will include:

• All adults working in the school system must be vaccinated. That includes teachers, management, and all staff –– including gardeners and security personnel. Anyone who comes into contact with children or who steps on school grounds must be vaccinated. There is no moral or medical justification for putting students at risk, and individuals who refuse the vaccine have no justification to be anywhere near children in school.
• When schools do open, masks must be worn.
• Non-classroom gatherings will not be permitted. And schools have been directed to improve ventilation and air quality by keeping windows, doors, and vents open where possible and employing mechanical ventilation using fans and ducts. We are also considering the use of portable air cleaners
• Breaks will be staggered to prevent gatherings
• Routine symptom and temperature screening of students and staff at school and testing of all who screen positive. Asymptomatic testing protocols for select groups will be implemented and absentee registry protocols maintained.

I am asking parents and guardians, to please take the time to discuss the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine with those of your children that are to receive the vaccine. Encourage them and assure them that the vaccine is safe, that it is the best protection for them against the severe effects of the COVID-19 virus. Explain how the vaccine will be rolled out and help them to understand why they are being vaccinated first, amongst other school-aged children in Fiji.

We encourage parents and households to also get vaccinated. I urge parents to talk to their households, family, and friends about the need to also get vaccinated, as this adds another layer of protection for children, particularly, as they will increase their interaction with different people as they return to school. We need to be aware, that as more people interacting with children are vaccinated, we increase the protection of our children from COVID.

The Ministry of Health will be working closely with the Ministry of Education, Heritage, and Arts to ensure that all parents/guardians and children are well informed of the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine before getting vaccinated and the processes involved in vaccination.

Over the next few days, and coming weeks, the Health Ministry will facilitate and host discussions online and through mainstream media inviting parents and guardians, CSO’s and faith-based leaders, and the public at large to discuss and receive further information about the COVID-19 vaccination program for 15 – 17-year-olds and children’s vaccination in general. Dates and times for these webinars and information sessions will be shared on the Ministry’s social media channels, Fijian Government channels, and through the media.

We are still in the process of finalizing the rollout plans for vaccinating children from 12 years to 14 years old, and this will be announced in due course, once we firm up plans.

Further details of the vaccination program for eligible children will be announced through the Fijian Government and the Ministry of Health and Medical Services Facebook pages and Ministry of Health and Medical Services website and the media.

Whilst we have a prospect of hope to vaccinate our children and to provide them with an extra layer of protection against COVID-19, I cannot reinforce enough, that 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, covering our coughs and sneezes, washing our hands regularly with soap and water or a hand sanitizer, keeping a 2m physical distance from others outside our household, and avoiding crowds. Without these measures, and low levels of vaccination coverage, we can expect to see COVID-19 continue to spread in our communities and affect those who are most vulnerable.

We also face a big threat with an ongoing battle against misinformation, and we counter this by providing you honest and verifiable facts and information about what is happening on the ground with our COVID-19 response. It is a continuous battle, and we can beat this misinformation together by getting our information from credible sources, for us that would be the Fijian Government and the Ministry of Health and Medical Services Facebook pages, and the Ministry of Health and Medical Services website. We will ensure that we provide you with the information that you need to make an informed decision to vaccinate your children when the vaccine program rolls out.

We look forward to your continuous support towards our vaccination programs and we know that you will help us to protect the most vulnerable in our society and we can start by ensuring that our children receive the Moderna and later the Pfizer vaccine.

Thank you.

Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Thursday, 16^th September 2021 

Transmission Update

We have 197 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8 am today. 93 cases are from the Western Division, 98 cases are from the Central Division and 6 cases are from the Eastern Division.

There have been 81 new recoveries to report since the last update, which means that there are now 12,978 active cases. 1,343 active cases are in the Central Division, 11,314 active cases in the Western Division, 1 active case in the Northern Division (Macuata), and 320 active cases in the Eastern Division (all in Kadavu).

There have been 49,517 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 49,587 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 35,686 recoveries.

We are currently reviewing and reconciling our active case database with deaths and recoveries and as a result, we expect the death and recovery numbers to intermittently change as verifications are made.

Deaths

There are four COVID-19 deaths to report for the period of 08th July – 16th July 2021. All four deaths were reported from the Central Division. Kindly note these deaths are being reported today due to the delay in receiving the official death certificates. As mentioned above, we are currently in the process of reviewing and reconciling our active case database with deaths and recoveries and as a result, we expect the death and recovery numbers to intermittently change as verifications are being made.

The first COVID-19 death to report is a 90-year-old man from Nausori who died at home on 08/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The second COVID-19 death to report is a 52-year-old woman from Suva who died at home on 12/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The third COVID-19 death to report is a 60-year-old man from Vatuwaqa who died at home on 13/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The fourth COVID-19 death to report is an 85-year-old woman from Nausori who died at home on 16/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.

There have been 5 more deaths of COVID-19 positive patients. However, these deaths have been classified as non-COVID deaths by their doctors. The doctors have determined that these deaths were caused by serious pre-existing medical conditions and not COVID-19.

There have now been 544 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 542 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 September 11th, the national 7 days rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 1.3. The 7 day rolling average for COVID-19 deaths per day in the Central Division is 1 and in the Western Division is 0.3.

We also have recorded 379 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 124 COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital. 37 patients are admitted at the Lautoka Hospital, 4 patients are admitted at the FEMAT field hospital, and 83 are admitted at CWM hospital, St Giles, and Makoi. 5 patients are considered to be in severe condition, and 4 are in critical condition.

Screening Update

A total of 6,638 individuals were screened and 601 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 602,406 individuals screened and 96,160 swabbed to date. Our mobile screening teams screened a total of 2,211 individuals and swabbed 646. This brings our cumulative total to 834,799 individuals screened and 74,998 swabbed by our mobile teams.

Testing Update

A total of 352,643 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 395,504 tested since testing began in March 2020. 1,451 tests have been reported for September 15th. The 7-day daily test average is 1,246 tests per day or 1.4 tests per 1,000 population. Weekly testing is at 10.3 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 12.4%, which is on a downward trend but still indicating a high level of community transmission.

Vaccination Update 

To date, 580,504 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 372,434 have received their second doses. This means that 97.7% of the target population have received at least one dose and 63.5% 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 145 cases per day or 164 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.

Seven new cases were recorded in Kadavu in the last 24 hours bringing the total number of cases to 490. Ten patients are currently admitted at Vunisea hospital, of which 5 are COVID positive and currently in stable condition, and 5 are negative for COVID-19. Mobile outreach teams continue with their visits to villages and settlements carrying out the follow-up of primary contacts, monitoring of positive patients and clearance, roll out of COVID-19 vaccination, MCH clinic, and immunization of babies, GOPD consultation, and SOPD clinic with medicine replenishment. Kavala health team is continuing with 2nd dose vaccinations as well as 1st dose jabs as part of the mop-up campaign. Movement restrictions remain in force supervised by the Police team and the Vanua.

Two new cases have been reported for Malolo Island in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 63. Of these, 33 individuals have recovered and 30 remain active cases. Daily assessment continues for the active cases and their contacts. Six high-risk cases are stable and remain in home isolation. Movement restrictions remain in force for all villages on the island.

Three new cases have been reported on Naviti Island in the last 24 hours. Of the total of 138 cases on the island, 75 individuals have recovered while 63 cases remain active and under surveillance by the health team. Movement restrictions are in place for all villages.

No new cases were recorded on Waya Island in the last 24 hours. 25 cases remain active and under home isolation in their villages with a daily assessment conducted by the Yalobi nursing station health team. The island remains under strict movement restrictions.

Two new cases were diagnosed on Enadala settlement in Nacula Island in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases on the island to 27. The positive cases are under isolation in their respective villages and monitored daily by the health team from Nacula health center. The other 4 villages and one settlement on the island have not recorded any positive case to date. Strict movement restriction remains in place for the whole island.

Beqa Island has recorded 56 new cases in the last 24 hours in the villages of Lalati, Soliyaga, Dakuni, Naceva, Dakuibeqa, Waisomo, and Raviravi. This brings the total number of cases to 118, of which 117 are active cases and are on daily monitoring by the health team. 168 swab tests were done in the last 24 hours, and education and awareness on COVID safe measures and vaccination continue for the villagers on the island. Movement restriction remains in force for the whole island.

Public Updates and Advice:

The Ministry of Health and Medical Services in conjunction with the Ministry of Education, Heritage and Arts, will begin the vaccination of eligible children aged 15 to 17 years with the Moderna vaccine from Monday 20th September 2021. Online registration is encouraged before vaccination, and the stringent process in place will ensure that parental or guardian consent is secured before vaccination. No vaccine will be given without the consent of parents or guardians.

Vaccination for children aged 12 to 17 years is safe. Similar to adults, children can also experience the side effects of COVID-19 vaccination such as pain at the jab site, swelling, fever, and body aches. These symptoms should subside over a few days. Severe side effects are rare and the risk of getting a severe infection and succumbing to COVID-19 is still higher than the risk of adverse events from vaccination. Therefore, parents and guardians are encouraged to agree for their children to be vaccinated to protect them from COVID-19.