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COVID-19 Situation Update

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 26th 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.

COVID-19 Update – 26-08-2021

Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Thursday, 26th August 2021

Transmission Update

We have 423 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8am today. 328 cases are from the Western Division, 92 cases are from the Central Division and 3 cases 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.

The 3 new cases in the Northern Division were detected in the Namara Tiri Settlement in the Macuata Subdivision. The index case is a freight vehicle driver who works at the Nabouwalu wharf and was tested as part of the routine surveillance program for those working within the Nabouwalu wharf operations. He tested positive on the 24th of August and subsequently 2 household contacts have also turned positive. His previous negative swabs on 14/7/21 and 3/8/21, and 12/8/21 were negative, suggesting recent exposure and infection.

There are 6 more individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Malolo Island. There are now 23 active cases on Malolo Island. As mentioned yesterday a medical team from Lautoka has  travelled to Malolo Island to assist the onsite medical team with the necessary response, including isolation of cases, contact tracing, and quarantine of contacts.

There has also been a COVID-19 death in Somosomo Village, on Naviti island, in the Yasawas. This is a 94 year old woman who died at home in Somosomo on 23/08/21. Investigations are underway into how this person became infected, and the Ministry’s response team in the West are conducting contact tracing and testing of contacts to identify more cases on the island. More information will be provided to the public as investigations progress.

There have been 230 new recoveries reported since the last update, which means that there are now 19,280 active cases. 9,568 active cases are in the Central Division, 9,573  active cases in the Western Division, 4 active cases in the Northern Division (Nabouwalu and Macuata) and 135 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 45,098 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 45,168 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 25,138 recoveries.

Deaths

We have 9 new COVID-19 deaths to report for the period of 19th – 25th August. One death was reported from the Central Division and eight deaths were reported from the Western Division.

The first COVID-19 death to report is an 84 year old woman from Ba. She presented to the Ba Mission Hospital in severe respiratory distress. She died on the same day (24/08/2021). She was not vaccinated.

The second COVID-19 death to report is a 75 year old woman from Lautoka who died at home on the 19/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The third COVID-19 death to report is an 80 year old woman from Nadi who died at home on the 25/08/2021. She received the first dose of the vaccine in early-April. She did not receive the second dose of the vaccine. This means that she was not fully vaccinated.

The fourth COVID-19 death to report is a 55 year old woman from Naitasiri who died at home on the 25/08/2021. 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 fifth COVID-19 death to report is a 71 year old woman from Lautoka who died at home on the 23/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The sixth COVID-19 death to report is a 59 year old man from Tavua. He presented to the Tavua Hospital in severe respiratory distress. He was transferred by a medical team from the Tavua Hospital to the Lautoka Hospital. Sadly, he died on the same day (25/08/2021). He received the first dose of the vaccine in late-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 65 year old woman from Rakiraki. She presented to the Rakiraki Hospital in severe respiratory distress. She died on the same day (25/08/2021). She was not vaccinated.

The eighth COVID-19 death to report is a 94 year old woman from Somosomo Village, Naviti, Yasawa Islands who died at home on the 23/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The ninth COVID-19 death to report is a 75 year old woman from Sigatoka. She presented to the Sigatoka Hospital in severe respiratory distress. She died on the same day (20/08/2021). She received the first dose of the vaccine in mid-July. She did not receive the second dose of the vaccine. This means that she was not fully vaccinated.

There have been 11 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 468 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 466 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 date of death, in order to help ensure the data collected is complete before the average is reported. Therefore, as of August 21st, 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 3 and in the Western Division is 4.

We also have recorded 282 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 233 COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital. 102 patients are admitted at the Lautoka Hospital, 36 patients are admitted at the FEMAT field hospital, and 95 admitted at CWM hospital, St Giles, and Makoi. 39 patients are considered to be in severe condition, and 11 are in critical condition.

Screening Update

A total of 3,677 individuals were screened and 449 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 497,715 individuals screened and 86,895 swabbed to date. As of the 25th August our mobile screening teams screened a total of 1,845 individuals and swabbed 99. This brings our cumulative total to 806,043 individuals screened and 71,138 swabbed by our mobile teams.

Testing update

A total of 325,347 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 368,208 tested since testing began in March 2020. 1,650 tests have been reported for August 25th. The 7-day daily test average is 1718 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 21.2%, which is on a downward trend, but still indicating a high level of community transmission.

Vaccination Update 

As of the 25th August, 553,399 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 251,396 have received their second doses. This means that 94.3% of the target population have received at least one dose and 42.9% 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 365 cases per day or 413 cases per million population per day. We have noted a drop in cases reported per day recently. However, our daily testing numbers have also been dropping around the same time, due to the change in testing policy in Suva-Nausori. Since July 21st, only persons that have a higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 are being targeted for testing in Suva-Nausori. This was done so that resources could be targeted to early detection, monitoring and care of persons with COVID-19 who are at higher risk of severe disease, to prevent more people succumbing to severe disease and death. We are likely seeing the effect of this testing policy change now in Suva-Nausori with the drop in daily reported cases. This does not mean that the outbreak is on a downward trend in the Suva-Nausori community. As previously announced by the Permanent Secretary, daily case numbers in Suva-Nausori are currently not being used as an indicator to monitor progress of the outbreak in Suva-Nausori. The Ministry is closely monitoring other indicators such as test positivity, hospitalisations and deaths to track the progress of the outbreak in Suva-Nausori.

However, even 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 seeing increasing cases reported in the Western Division with evidence of widespread community transmission in that division.  Deaths per day at a 7 day average in the Western Division now surpass the Central Division.

The outlook for the cases found in the North indicate 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 testing negative. The swabbing results from within the Nabouwalu containment area, and nearby communities are  also returning negative.

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 today 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

Northern Division Response

In response to the cases reported today, the Namara Tiri Settlement has been  declared a lock down area. Check points will be set up at the 2 road entry points into the settlement Most families in the lockdown area are low income earners. Food and supplies will be supplied through the police checkpoints to individual families with STRICT COVID MEASURE.

Based on the movements of the index case, a restricted movement zone is also declared for the greater Labasa Town area. The objective will be to limit the risk of mass community transmission, and to better screen the local population. To support this objective the following health protection measures will be put into effect.

  • The curfew hours will be brought forward to 8pm to 4am. Curfew hours will be reviewed, if more cases are identified.
  • Any person in a public place within the Province of Bua and Macuata, must, except with reasonable excuse, wear a face covering in the proper manner, with effect from 27th August, 2021. Children under the age of 5 are exempt from this requirement;
  • Supermarkets and shops selling food can open so that people can buy food. Ensure strict COVID 19 protocols are followed
  • Banks can open so that people can get money with strict COVID measures
  • Pharmacies can open so that people can get medicine with strict COVID measures
  • FNPF can open so that people can access funds with strict COVID measures.
  • 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.
  • Restaurants may not open for in-person dining, but may offer delivery and take-away services.
  • Other businesses, such as factories and shops, can open as well. However, it is vital that vendors and businesses ensure strict physical distancing before opening their doors. Make sure customers in queues are spaced out by two metres and manage crowding. Customer-facing businesses should limit customer capacity to 50%. Businesses that do not manage these risks with COVID-safe plans will be shut down.

Strict containment measures that have proven successful, our contact tracing team is working overtime to identify and quarantine every known contact of this latest case, so mask-wearing and physical distancing is absolutely essential to stop the virus from spreading.

We are strengthening our network of screening clinics to keep those with COVID-like symptoms away from vulnerable people who visit Health Centres and into separate, dedicated spaces specially designed to effectively identify possible COVID-19 cases.

Please visit one of these clinics immediately to get tested if you live in the Northern Division and have any of the following symptoms: runny nose, sore throat, cough, fever, body ache, headache, loss of taste or smell, difficulty breathing. 

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.

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-coloured 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 sanitiser, practice safe physical distancing of 2m, ensure that the careFIJI app is downloaded on your phone and enabled and remember to get vaccinated.

COVID-19 Update – 25-08-2021

Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Wednesday, 25th August 2021

Transmission Update

We have 255 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8am yesterday. 138 cases are from the Western Division and 117 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.

15 more individuals have tested positive for COVID-19 in Vunabaka, Malolo Island. Early investigations have determined that more than 20 people had recently engaged in unauthorized travel from Viti Levu to Malolo Island. There are now 17 active cases on Malolo Island, including the 2 announced yesterday, with more expected. A medical team from Lautoka have travelled to Malolo Island to assist the  onsite medical team with the necessary response, including isolation of cases, contact tracing, and quarantine of contacts.

There have been 53 new recoveries reported since the last update, which means that there are now 19,107 active cases. 9,717 active cases are in the Central Division, 9,254 active cases in the Western Division, 1 active case in the Northern Division (Nabouwalu) and 135 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 44,675 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 44,745 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 24,908 recoveries.

Deaths

We have 6 new COVID-19 deaths to report for the period of 22nd – 24th August. Three deaths were reported from the Central Division and three deaths were reported from the Western Division.

The first COVID-19 death to report is a 47 year old man from Naitasiri who died at home on the 23/08/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The second COVID-19 death to report is a 74 year old man from Ba. He presented to the Ba Mission Hospital in severe respiratory distress. He died three days after admission on the 22/08/2021.He received the first dose of the vaccine in late-July. He did not receive the second dose of the vaccine. This means that he was not fully vaccinated.

The third COVID-19 death to report is an 80 year old man from Sigatoka who died at home on the 22/08/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The fourth COVID-19 death to report is an 80 year old man from Suva. He presented to the CWM Hospital in severe respiratory distress. He died 7 days after admission on the (24/08/2021). He was not vaccinated.

The fifth COVID-19 death to report is an 85 year old man from Tailevu who died at home on the 24/08/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The sixth COVID-19 death to report is a 65 year old woman from Ba who died at home on the 23/08/2021. 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. 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 459 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 457 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 date of death, in order to help ensure the data collected is complete before the average is reported. Therefore, as of August 20th, the national 7 day rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 8. The 7 day rolling average for COVID-19 deaths per day in the Central Division is 3 and in the Western Division is 5.

We also have recorded 271 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 hospital. 103 patients are admitted at the Lautoka Hospital, 28 patients are admitted at the FEMAT field hospital, and 111 admitted at CWM hospital, St Giles, and Makoi. 44 patients are considered to be in severe condition, and 8 are in critical condition.

Screening Update

A total of 5,275 individuals were screened and 670 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 494,038 individuals screened and 86,446 swabbed to date. As of the 24th August our mobile screening teams screened a total of 2336 individuals and swabbed 98. This brings our cumulative total to 804,198 individuals screened and 71,039 swabbed by our mobile teams.

Testing update

A total of 323,697 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 366,558 tested since testing began in March 2020. 1,469 tests have been reported for August 24th. The 7-day daily test average is 1708 tests per day or 1.9 tests per 1,000 population. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 24.6%.

Vaccination Update 

As of the 24th August, 547,252 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 245,749 have received their second doses. This means that 93.3% of the target population have received at least one dose and 41.9% 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 416 cases per day or 471 cases per million population per day. We have noted a drop in cases reported per day recently. However, our daily testing numbers have also been dropping around the same time, due to the change in testing policy in Suva-Nausori. Since July 21st, only persons that have a higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 are being targeted for testing in Suva-Nausori. This was done so that resources could be targeted to early detection, monitoring and care of persons with COVID-19 who are at higher risk of severe disease, to prevent more people succumbing to severe disease and death. We will be transitioning to community surveillance testing as severe disease numbers and positivity rates approach the containment phase levels.

We are likely seeing the effect of this testing policy change now in Suva-Nausori with the drop in daily reported cases. This does not mean that the outbreak is on a downward trend in the Suva-Nausori community. As previously announced by the Permanent Secretary, daily case numbers in Suva-Nausori are currently not being used as an indicator to monitor progress of the outbreak in Suva-Nausori. The Ministry is closely monitoring other indicators such as test positivity, hospitalisations and deaths to track the progress of the outbreak in Suva-Nausori.

We are seeing increasing cases reported in the Western Division with evidence of widespread community transmission in that division.  Deaths per day at a 7 day average in the Western Division now surpass the Central Division.

The Northern Division remains with one active case, with all contacts in quarantine so far testing negative, and swabbing results from within the containment area, and nearby communities also returning negative. The situation in Kadavu in the Eastern Division continues to remain a concern with more cases expected. There are now also cases in Malolo Island, with more cases expected.

Advice to the public

People with severe COVID-19 are still dying at home, or are coming to a medical facility in the late stages of severe illness.

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-coloured 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 with one active case identified in Nabouwalu, it is important that people throughout Vanua Levu listen to advice and continue to practice COVID-19 safety measures.

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.

Kadavu Response Update

The situation in Kadavu Island remains a major concern. The clinical scoping team have put together a clinical response plan that will help to efficiently escalate our response to the expected wave of severe disease and deaths in Kadavu however we do anticipate this to be a challenging exercise. The team is expected to depart for Kadavu tomorrow to support the current onsite medical team. FEMAT response to Kadavu will involve both public health and clinical teams. The clinical team will include doctors and nurses from the clinical specialized fields of medicine. And a laboratory team from the Fiji CDC. Upon arrival in Kadavu the team will boost up the public health response on,  case identification through contact tracing and screening, risk assessment and stratification, COVID awareness, Vaccination coverage and clinical case management based on the clinical care flow pathway. The aim will be to identify the extent of transmission, instituting containment strategies, early detection and retrieval of sick cases and minimizing deaths. They will also work very closely with the teams from other ministries under Provincial Administrator Kadavu on community engagement. The main goal is also to minimize severe and critical cases given the expected challenges in medical evacuation. While they commit towards community response and engagement the logistic teams will be setting up the COVID wards and the intermediate care facilities in readiness for patients with severe COVID-19 disease.

COVID-19 Update – 24-08-2021

Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Tuesday, 24th August 2021

Transmission Update

We have 302 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8am today. 148 cases are from the Western Division and 154 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.

There are two individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Cubi Settlement, Malolo Island. Early investigations reveal that these two individuals travelled to Malolo Island from Viti Levu without proper authorization. They are currently isolated. Further details will be provided once investigations are complete.

The Ministry of Health and Medical Services is again urging all Fijians not to engage in unauthorized travel to and from Viti Levu. All our current protocols to regulate domestic movements must be followed to prevent spread of the virus beyond Viti Levu. The remoteness of the maritime islands, and their  limited resources, mean that any outbreak with severe cases will be very challenging to manage. We need the people in our maritime islands fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to help protect them from severe disease and death  before any movement occurs beyond the current controlled repatriation.

Furthermore, we repeat our call to all village leaders and elders to support our current efforts to protect our maritime islands and to immediately report any suspicious movements into your community.

There have been 430 new recoveries reported since the last update, which means that there are now 18,916 active cases. 9,653 active cases are in the Central Division, 9,127 active cases in the Western Division, 1 active case in the Northern Division (Nabouwalu) and 135 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 44,420 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 44,490 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 24,855 recoveries.

Deaths

We have 9 new COVID-19 deaths to report for the period of 18th – 23rd August. Four deaths were reported from the Central Division and five deaths were reported from the Western Division.

The first COVID-19 death to report is a 60 year old woman from Lautoka. She presented to the Lautoka Hospital in respiratory distress. She reported to have a fever, cough and shortness of breath for one week prior to presentation. She died 11 days after admission on the 21/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The second COVID-19 death to report is a 67 year old woman from Lautoka. She presented to the Lautoka Hospital Emergency Department in severe respiratory distress. She died on the same day (20/08/2021). She was not vaccinated.

The third COVID-19 death to report is a 66 year old woman from Navua who died at home on the 18/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The fourth COVID-19 death to report is a 66 year old man from Naitasiri. He presented to the CWM Hospital in severe respiratory distress. He died 10 days after admission on the 23/08/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The fifth COVID-19 death to report is an 84 year old woman from Navua who died at home on the 21/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The sixth COVID-19 death to report is a 57 year old man from Nadi. He presented to the Nadi Hospital in severe respiratory distress. He died on the same day 23/08/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The seventh COVID-19 death to report is an 80 year old man from Nadi. He presented to the Nadi Hospital in severe respiratory distress. His family reported that he had shortness of breath for one week prior to presentation. He died on the same day 23/08/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The eighth COVID-19 death to report is a 72 year old woman from Suva. She presented to the CWM Hospital in severe respiratory distress. She died 16 days after admission on the 23/08/2021. She received the 1st dose of the vaccine in late July. She did not receive the second dose of the vaccine. This means that she was not fully vaccinated.

The ninth COVID-19 death to report is a 49 year old man from Ba who died at home on the 20/08/2021. He was not vaccinated.

There have been 9 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 453 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 451 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 required to calculate the 7 day rolling average of deaths, based on date of death, in order to help ensure the data collected is complete before the average is reported. Therefore, as of August 19th, the national 7 day rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 10. The 7 day rolling average for COVID-19 deaths per day in the Central Division is 4 and in the Western Division is 6.

We also have recorded 266 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 264 COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital. 111 patients are admitted at the Lautoka Hospital, 38 patients are admitted at the FEMAT field hospital, and 115 admitted at CWM hospital, St Giles, and Makoi. 24 patients are considered to be in severe condition, and 10 are in critical condition.

Screening Update

A total of 5,415 individuals were screened and 712 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 488,763 individuals screened and 85,776 swabbed to date. As of the 23rd August our mobile screening teams screened a total of 1524 individuals and swabbed 73. This brings our cumulative total to 801,862 individuals screened and 70,941 swabbed by our mobile teams.

Testing Update

A total of 322,144 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 365,005 tested since testing began in March 2020. 1,533 tests have been reported for August 23rd. The testing data from one lab is still being received. Therefore, testing data numbers are expected to increase. The 7-day daily test average is 1724 tests per day or 1.9 tests per 1,000 population. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 27.9%.

Vaccination Update

As of the 23rd August, 545,459 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 241,027 have received their second doses. This means that 93% of the target population have received at least one dose and 41.1% 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 473 cases per day or 535 cases per million population per day. We have noted a drop in cases reported per day recently. However, our daily testing numbers have also been dropping around the same time, due to the change in testing policy in Suva-Nausori. Since July 21st, only persons that have a higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 are being targeted for testing in Suva-Nausori. This was done so that resources could be targeted to early detection, monitoring and care of persons with COVID-19 who are at higher risk of severe disease, to prevent more people succumbing to severe disease and death. We will be transitioning to community surveillance testing as severe disease numbers and positivity rates approach the containment phase levels.

We are likely seeing the effect of this testing policy change now in Suva-Nausori with the drop in daily reported cases. This does not mean that the outbreak is on a downward trend in the Suva-Nausori community. As previously announced by the Permanent Secretary, daily case numbers in Suva-Nausori are currently not being used as an indicator to monitor progress of the outbreak in Suva-Nausori. The Ministry is closely monitoring other indicators such as test positivity, hospitalisations and deaths to track the progress of the outbreak in Suva-Nausori.

We are seeing increasing cases reported in the Western Division with evidence of widespread community transmission in that division.  Deaths per day at a 7 day average in the Western Division now surpass the Central Division.

The Northern Division remains with one active case, with all contacts in quarantine so far testing negative, and swabbing results from within the containment area, and nearby communities also returning negative. The situation in Kadavu in the Eastern Division continues to remain a concern.

Advice to the public

People with severe COVID-19 are still dying at home, or are coming to a medical facility in the late stages of severe illness.

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-coloured 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 with one active case identified in Nabouwalu, it is important that people throughout Vanua Levu listen to advice and continue to practice COVID-19 safety measures.

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.

Kadavu Response Update

The situation in Kadavu Island remains a major concern. The clinical scoping team have put together a clinical response plan that will help to efficiently escalate our response to the expected wave of severe disease and deaths in Kadavu however we do anticipate this to be a challenging exercise. The team is expected to depart for Kadavu over the next 2 days. FEMAT response to Kadavu will involve both public health and clinical teams. The clinical team will include doctors and nurses from the clinical specialized fields of medicine. Upon arrival in Kadavu the clinical team will boost up the public health response on, case identification through rapid diagnostic tests, risk assessment and stratification, COVID awareness, Vaccination coverage and clinical case management based on the clinical care flow pathway. The aim will be to identify the extent of transmission, instituting containment strategies, early detection and retrieval of sick cases and minimizing deaths. They will also work very closely with the teams from other ministries under Provincial Administrator Kadavu on community engagement. The main goal is also to minimize severe and critical cases given the expected challenges in medical evacuation. While they commit towards community response and engagement the logistic teams will be setting up the COVID wards and the intermediate care facilities in readiness for patients with severe COVID-19 disease.

COVID-19 Update – 23-08-2021
Media Release
COVID-19 Daily Update
Monday, 23rd August 2021
 
Transmission Update
 
We have 591 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8 am today. 498 cases are from the Western Division, 89 cases are from the Central Division, and 4 cases are from the Eastern Division (Kadavu). 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.
 
The 4 new cases in Kadavu are from Namalata Village.
There have been 616 new recoveries reported since the last update, which means that there are now 19,062 active cases. 9723 active cases are in the Central Division, 9203 active cases in the Western Division, 1 active case in the Northern Division (Nabouwalu), and 135 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 44,118 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 44,188 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 24,425 recoveries.
 
Deaths
 
We have 6 new COVID-19 deaths to report for the period of 16th – 22nd August. Three deaths were reported from the Central Division and three deaths were reported from the Western Division.
 
The first COVID-19 death to report is a 72-year-old man from Tailevu who died at home on 21/08/2021. 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 vaccinated.
 
The second COVID-19 death to report is a 44-year-old man from Tailevu. He presented to the CWM Hospital in severe respiratory distress. He died 3 days after admission on 22/08/2021. He was not vaccinated.
 
The third COVID-19 death to report is a 50-year-old woman from Tailevu who died at home on 20/08/2021. She presented to the Lautoka Hospital in severe respiratory distress. She was not vaccinated.
The fourth COVID-19 death to report is a 20-year-old woman from Rakiraki who died at home on 16/08/2021. She received the first dose of the vaccine in mid-July. She did not receive the second dose of the vaccine. This means that she was not fully vaccinated.
 
The fifth COVID-19 death to report is a 72-year-old woman from Rakiraki who died at home on 21/08/2021. 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 sixth COVID-19 death to report is a 71-year-old man from Rakiraki who died at home on 22/08/2021. He was not vaccinated.
 
There have been 4 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 444 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 442 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 required 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 18th, the national 7 day rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 8. The 7 day rolling average for COVID-19 deaths per day in the Central Division is 2 and in the Western Division is 6.
 
We also have recorded 257 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 279 COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital. 110 patients are admitted at the Lautoka Hospital, 39 patients are admitted at the FEMAT field hospital, and 130 admitted at CWM hospital, St Giles, and Makoi. 26 patients are considered to be in severe condition, and 14 are in critical condition.
 
Screening Update
 
A total of 808 individuals were screened and 146 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 483,348 individuals screened and 85,064 swabbed to date. As of the 22nd of August, our mobile screening teams screened a total of 71 individuals and swabbed 34. This brings our cumulative total to 800,338 individuals screened and 70,868 swabbed by our mobile teams.
 
Testing Update
 
A total of 320,029 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 362,890 tested since testing began in March 2020. 1,759 tests have been reported for August 22nd. The testing data from one lab is still being received. Therefore, testing data numbers are expected to increase. The 7-day daily test average is 1637 tests per day or 1.8 tests per 1,000 population. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 31.5%.
 
Vaccination Update
 
As of the 21st of August, 543,254 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 234,905 have received their second doses. This means that 92.6% of the target population have received at least one dose and 40% 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 514 cases per day or 581 cases per million population per day. We have noted a drop in cases reported per day recently. However, our daily testing numbers have also been dropping around the same time, due to the change in testing policy in Suva-Nausori. Since July 21st, only persons that have a higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 are being targeted for testing in Suva-Nausori. This was done so that resources could be targeted to early detection, monitoring, and care of persons with COVID-19 who are at higher risk of severe disease, to prevent more people succumbing to severe disease and death. We will be transitioning to community surveillance testing as severe disease numbers and positivity rates approach the containment phase levels.
 
We are likely seeing the effect of this testing policy change now in Suva-Nausori with the drop in daily reported cases. This does not mean that the outbreak is on a downward trend in the Suva-Nausori community. As previously announced by the Permanent Secretary, daily case numbers in Suva-Nausori are currently not being used as an indicator to monitor the progress of the outbreak in Suva-Nausori. The Ministry is closely monitoring other indicators such as test positivity, hospitalisations, and deaths to track the progress of the outbreak in Suva-Nausori.
 
We are seeing increasing cases reported in the Western Division with evidence of widespread community transmission in that division. Deaths per day at a 7 day average in the Western Division now surpass the Central Division.
 
The Northern Division remains with one active case, with all contacts in quarantine so far testing negative, and swabbing results from within the containment area, and nearby communities also returning negative. The situation in Kadavu in the Eastern Division continues to remain a concern, with 4 more cases reported today.
 
Advice to the public
 
People with severe COVID-19 are still dying at home, or are coming to a medical facility in the late stages of severe illness.
 
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 with one active case identified in Nabouwalu, it is important that people throughout Vanua Levu listen to advice and continue to practice COVID-19 safety measures.
 
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.
 
Kadavu Response Update
 
The situation in Kadavu Island remains a major concern. The clinical scoping team has put together a clinical response plan that will help to efficiently escalate our response to the expected wave of severe disease and deaths in Kadavu however we do anticipate this to be a challenging exercise. The team is expected to depart for Kadavu over the next 2 days. FEMAT’s response to Kadavu will involve both public health and clinical teams. The clinical team will include doctors and nurses from the clinical specialized fields of medicine. Upon arrival in Kadavu, the clinical team will boost up the public health response on, case identification through rapid diagnostic tests, risk assessment and stratification, COVID awareness, Vaccination coverage, and clinical case management based on the clinical care flow pathway. The aim will be to identify the extent of transmission, instituting containment strategies, early detection, and retrieval of sick cases, and minimizing deaths. They will also work very closely with the teams from other ministries under Provincial Administrator Kadavu on community engagement. The main goal is also to minimize severe and critical cases given the expected challenges in medical evacuation. While they commit towards community response and engagement the logistic teams will be setting up the COVID wards and the intermediate care facilities in readiness for patients with severe COVID-19 disease.
 
The Ministry of Health and Medical Services reiterates its call for maritime islanders not to engage in unauthorized travel to and from Viti Levu. All our current protocols to regulate domestic movements must be adhered to in order to prevent the spread of the virus beyond Viti Levu. Furthermore, we repeat our call to all village leaders and elders to support our current efforts to protect our maritime islands and to immediately report any suspicious movements into your community.