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Media Release

COVID-19 Update : 4pm

Monday May 24th 2021

Transmission Update

We have recorded five new cases since the last update yesterday evening. Four of these cases are in Muanikoso–from 2 separate households. They were all located within the Muanikoso Containment Zone, and were picked up as part of the mass screening currently ongoing in that area.

The other case is from Samabula and is an employee of a catering group that was providing food after a funeral gathering held at the Samabula cluster household. This person was a close contact of a case from that cluster.

There are now 97 active cases in isolation with the total number of cases recorded in Fiji since our first case in March 2020 now at 235.

Our recent experience tells us that other than within households, this virus has been spreading most commonly within workplaces and during social gatherings. Particularly workplaces with large numbers of staff, like supermarkets, are at high risk for spread of the infection.

We are urging all workplaces, including supermarkets and other commercial establishments to review your procedures and make sure you are complying with the protocols we have established to eliminate spread. Commercial establishments and operators of public transport vehicles must enforce limits on capacity, enforce masking requirements, be diligent about cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, ensure staff do not work if they are sick, and make sure all employees comply and also enforce these procedures. And everyone must download the careFiji app. The Ministry of Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport will work with commercial business owners–particularly supermarkets–and the transport industry to make sure that everyone understands the practices they must follow.

We have also seen evidence that people have traveled on public transport or done shopping despite experiencing symptoms. We all must take individual responsibility for stopping the spread of this virus. Everyone should recognize the symptoms by now. The typical symptoms of COVID-19 include fatigue, fever, sore throat, cough, shortness of breath, body aches, or a sudden loss of taste or smell.

If you experience ANY of these symptoms–even one, and even if it is very mild–you must be screened immediately. Go to the nearest mobile screening centre, wearing a mask and maintaining two metres physical distance between you and any other person you encounter. If you do not know where the nearest screening centre is located, call 158 and ask. Do not use public transport if you have any symptoms. If you cannot get to a screening centre, again, call 158 for assistance.

It is very important for everyone who experiences any of these symptoms to assume that they have contracted the virus. Do not assume that it’s nothing and just hope for the best. The responsible act is to assume the worst and act with extreme caution.

Testing and Screening Update

We are particularly concerned about settlements where people live in close proximity to each other, and we want to keep them free of infection, so we will now increase our swabbing within a settlement where there are known cases.

Results from 7,000 backlogged swab samples sent to Australia for testing have been received. All were negative except for one inconclusive sample from Lautoka that will be retested. The high number of negative results is not unexpected as the majority of samples that were backlogged, and then shipped to Australia in this batch of 7,000, were from outside the containment areas, including a large number of samples from the Northern Division. We are awaiting results from another 4,000 swab samples undergoing testing in Australia. The majority of samples in this second batch are from the containment areas of Suva, Nasinu, Nausori, Nadi and Lautoka.

We have now conducted 576,050 screenings and 24,855 swabbings with our community mobile screening program, in addition to the health facility, fixed screening clinics and the contact tracing screenings conducted for positive cases.

-ENDS-

Media Release

COVID-19 Update

Sunday May 23rd 2021

There are 6 new positive cases to report as of 6pm today.

The first 2 cases are from Muanikoso in Nasinu and are primary contacts of other cases.

The next 4 cases tested positive while in quarantine and are primary contacts of one of the Extra Supermarket employee cases.

There are now 92 active cases in isolation.

Fiji has had 230 cases in total, with 134 recoveries and 4 deaths, since our first case was reported on March 19^th 2020.

A total of 88,294 COVID-19 laboratory tests have been conducted since we started testing in early 2020.

A total of 1629 samples were tested yesterday May 22nd. The daily test count of 183 tests at Tamavua Twomey Hospital had been added to yesterday’s data, and a miscount of 300 corrected, so now there are 2685 tests in total recorded for testing on May 21^st.

The daily average of testing over the last 7 days now at 2267 tests per day. The 7 day average daily test positivity is at 0.4%, with test positivity rising to 1.1% in the last day. An average of 2.6 tests per 1000 population were conducted daily over the last 7 days, with 1.2 tests per 1000 population in the last day.

-ENDS-

COVID-19 Update

Sunday, 23rd May 2021

Transmission Update

We have recorded 18 new cases since our last update yesterday evening.

10 cases are from 2 related families in Waila

4 cases are from a household in Tacirua

2 cases from a household in Muanikoso

We are early in the investigations into these new cases and currently no link has been established with other cases.

Of the remaining 2 cases, 1 is a contact of the Samabula cluster, and the 2nd is an Extra Supermarket worker who tested positive on their final swab in quarantine.

In addition to an expanded Muanikoso screening zone, we have established screening zones in Samabula, Waila and Tacirua, where we are now conducting intensive screening and testing. These latest cases involve a number of people who visited well-known shops, grocery stores and other commercial facilities inthe area, which will make contact tracing and data we can gain from the careFIJI app very important. Please be sure to have the app installed and running on your phone, with Bluetooth turned on.

A number of  recent cases  acknowledged that they did not observe proper physical distancing as they moved about the community, and attended social events such as grog parties. Therefore, we repeat the advice that we have given repeatedly–and that health authorities worldwide have given repeatedly for more than the past year–to wear masks, wash hands frequently, observe physical distancing always, and avoid crowds. And please do not attend social events, and do not invite people in from outside your household. It is also very important to maintain discipline at work by staying within your bubbles if your workplace has them and by keeping your masks firmly in place. Don’t let your guard down, set an example in your community, and encourage family, neighbors and people you meet to observe these common-sense practices. This is very serious.

We will now be making it mandatory to wear a mask or face covering if you live in a containment area and are outside your home.

There has been 1 recovery, which means we now have 86 active cases in Fiji, with 224 cases recorded in total since our first case in March 2020. All active cases are stable. Transmission is concentrated in the Central Division at this time, in the Suva-Nausori Containment Area, and that is where we are focusing our attention, personnel and resources.

Vaccination Update

We will conduct vaccinations all next week beginning Monday throughout the Central Division for all persons 18 and older who have not yet received their first dose. We have arranged for vaccination centers at well-known fixed locations and will also deploy mobile vaccination teams in some areas. Vaccination sites and times and any special information will be published every day on the Fijian Government Facebook page.

Lautoka hospital has completed 18 days of isolation so far and is undertaking the 4th round of testing for staff and patients. They also plan to complete the 2nd dose of vaccination for all staff sequestered in the hospital by next week.

Media Release

COVID-19 Update

Saturday May 22nd 2021

There are 8 new positive cases to report as of 6pm today. The first case is from Muanikoso in Nasinu and is a contact of the Vunimono/Nadali cluster.

The second case presented to Samabula Health Centre with COVID-19 symptoms. Six members of her household in Samabula have now also tested positive. At this early stage of investigations there has been no link established between these and other cases.

The public should expect extensive investigations and screening to be ongoing tonight related to these cases in Muanikoso and Samabula.

Three patients have recovered today, which means there are now 69 active cases. (please note that there was a miscount of 65 active cases reported in the afternoon update when it should have been 64 active cases).

Fiji has had 206 cases in total, with 133 recoveries and 4 deaths, since our first case was reported on March 19^th 2020.

A total of 86,742 COVID-19 laboratory tests have been conducted since we started testing in early 2020.

A total 2802 samples were tested yesterday. Please note that the daily test number  for the laboratory at Tamavua Twomey Hospital has not been received so the actual number of tests for yesterday is higher than currently reported. The daily average of testing over the last 7 days now at 2087 tests per day. The 7 day average daily test positivity is at 0.5%, with test positivity at 0.4% in the last day. An average of 2.4 tests per 1000 population were conducted daily over the last 7 days, with 3.2 tests per 1000 population in the last day.

-ENDS-

COVID-19 Update:

2PM, Saturday 22 May, 2021

Case and Transmission Update 

We have three new cases of COVID-19 to report as of 12pm today. These cases are all tied to the cluster in Muanikoso, Nasinu. One case is from the same household as the other cases previously announced in Muanikoso. The other two cases are neighbours from an adjoining home.

The close proximity of the two households strongly suggests there was contact at some point, this may have been before the members of the first household began their home quarantine on May 11th. Given that these two new cases in the second household were not under a home quarantine order, we have locked down the Muanikoso area until further investigations can inform our risk assessment for the community. No one residing in the area will be allowed to leave. Those outside of the area who reside in the community will be allowed to re-enter provided they acknowledge they will not be allowed to leave.

Early contact tracing investigations into the Muanikoso cluster indicate that case 191, an Extra Supermarket employee, is the most likely source point for transmission. She had careFIJI installed with bluetooth switched on, so our contact tracing teams have digitally-logged interactions to inform their investigations. This case again reinforces the importance for all Fijians to stay home at all times. If you do have an essential reason to leave, wear a mask, maintain two metres of physical distance from others, and install careFIJI and keep bluetooth turned on.

The contact tracing stemming from case 190 (the security company driver) has identified 29 contacts. None of these contacts have been confirmed as COVID-positive.

There are now 65 active cases in isolation. We have recorded 198 cases and four deaths in Fiji since recording our first case on March 19th 2020.

Screening and Testing Update 

The latest testing data will be reported once a day during the evening update.

As of this morning, 63.7% of the Fijian population have been screened for COVID-like symptoms as well as travel histories that may have exposed them to the virus. Screening will be conducted multiple times to effectively screen for COVID-like symptoms, and we ask that the public continue to cooperate with our screening teams and report to one of our 58 screening clinics across the country if they are experiencing any flu-like symptoms, such as fever, dry cough, fatigue, loss of appetite, loss of smell, or body ache.

COVID-Safe Measures

Through our extensive programme of contact tracing and testing, the lockdown areas of  Makoi in Nasinu, Naira in Rakiraki, and Dokonavatu, Nanukloa and Naiserelagi in Savoi, Ra have each gone for more than 14 days (the incubation period for COVID-19) without new cases. As a result, the borders of these lockdown areas will be lifted at 4am on 23 May 2021.

7,000 backlogged swabs were flown out to Australia on Thursday for processing, with an additional 4,000 swabs sent today. We expect that the test results will arrive early next week. Once we have this data, we will consider relaxing the borders of containment areas where we have a high degree of confidence that community transmission has been eliminated.