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COVID-19 vaccination drive concludes in Vanua Levu for this batch

17 May 2021. The Ministry of Health and Medical Services wishes to inform the public that the COVID-19 vaccination drive for the target population has concluded in Taveuni, Savusavu and Macuata in Vanua Levu. The public will be advised as more vaccines are rolled-out around the country.

Given the COVID-19 status quo and the need to take extreme caution against the rapidly spreading COVID-19 disease, a strategic vaccination roll-out plan is being formulated for Viti Levu. The Ministry of Health will make necessary announcements once it is safe to do so. For now, the public is urged to follow all national COVID-19 safe protocols that are in place to control the outbreak.

For those who have not registered for the COVID-19 vaccines are encouraged to register online at vra.digitalfiji.gov.fj. Ensure that the registration reference number is safely kept. At this stage, the Ministry of Health’s priority is to vaccinate the high risk population which include the frontline workers, persons with disability, people over 60 years of age and people with comorbidity issues as they are easily susceptible to the disease. The Ministry of Health reassures all vaccine eligible individuals that they will be vaccinated in due course of time. Fiji will continue to receive the COVID-19 vaccines in batches similar to the other countries.

For those who have been vaccinated, expect mild side-effects similar to any other vaccine. In a very rare circumstance, should a person experience any unusual side effects, they can visit the nearest health centre or hospital. The health staff are trained to treat the side effects.

Ends.

We have confirmed four new cases of COVID-19.

These new cases all stem from the cluster in Nadali, Nausori, which is believed to have started with a close contact case of the first Makoi cluster. The four individuals are all household contacts of case number 167 confirmed yesterday. These patients were all entered into isolation yesterday and registered positive test results overnight. The Ministry’s contact tracing has expanded to investigate the travel histories and potential contacts of these four individuals.

We are prepared for rising numbers of new cases over the next two days as a high volume of swab results from primary and secondary contacts of existing cases are processed with Fiji CDC coming back online.

There are currently 49 active cases of COVID-19 in the country. 4 are border quarantine cases 33 are local cases, and 12 are currently classified as cases of community transmission. There have been 3 recoveries over the past 24 hours. Fiji has now had 172 cases in total since our first case was detected on March 19th 2020, with 119 recoveries, and 4 deaths.

The Fiji Police Force has reported widespread compliance with the lockdown measures in Suva and Nausori. We appreciate the public’s cooperation as we efficiently utilise the lockdown period to trace, test and, if necessary, isolate and treat COVID-positive patients. It is vital that Fijians living in Suva and Nausori continue to remain at home for the duration of the lockdown period. If you see gatherings, or other violations of our health measures, please call 158 or 917 to report them. If you are feeling any flu-like symptoms, such as fever, dry cough, fatigue, loss of appetite, loss of smell, and body ache, please call 158. Our teams will respond quickly to assist you.

The Fiji Centre for Disease Control has been fully decontaminated and will resume processing COVID-19 tests from tonight. All remaining staff have continued to test negative for COVID-19. None of the laboratory staff have tested positive to date, which further indicates that the virus was brought in from the community.

After being given the choice to either enter a quarantine facility or continue work at the CDC, the vast majority of staff have chosen to remain in the CDC and continue running tests. They will continue to be tested regularly during their sequestration period so that any positive case can be identified and isolated early.

Through testing at other facilities throughout Fiji, we have confirmed two new cases of COVID-19. Both of these cases are tied to existing clusters. The first is a close contact from the most recent Makoi cluster. The second is a close contact from the cluster in Nadali, Nausori. The Makoi case has been in an isolation facility since May 10th. The Nadali case has been entered into isolation. Contact tracing for both individuals is underway.

The lockdown of Suva and Nausori commenced from 11pm last night. Until its scheduled end on Wednesday, the 19th of May, at 4am, Fijians living in Suva and Nausori must remain at home. Travel for medical emergencies is permitted. Only essential service providers with explicit authorisation from the government may operate.

The Ministry’s contact tracing teams are using the lockdown period as a window of opportunity to trace and test primary and secondary contacts of existing cases within Suva and Nausori. The nature and the number of the cases that we confirm through the lockdown period will inform our next steps.

For the rest of Viti Levu, the 6pm to 4am curfew comes into effect from tonight. We urge the public to stay home and stay safe. If you need to leave your home for an essential reason, wear a mask, maintain a physical distance of at least two metres from others, and make sure you have careFIJI installed and turned on.

In the event of any major developments, the Permanent Secretary of Health and Medical Services will hold a media conference. Otherwise we will issue updates through the Fijian Government Facebook page.

Thank you to everyone within the lockdown zone for staying home this weekend. Your time at home is being used efficiently by our teams to identify and isolate positive COVID-19 patients. We appreciate your support and cooperation.

Media Release

COVID-19 Update

Friday May 14th 2021

As announced by the Permanent Secretary for Health and Medical Services today, we have 1 new cases to report. While testing is still on pause at Fiji CDC testing it has continued at Tamavua Twomey Hospital, CWM Hospital, Labasa Hospital and Lautoka Hospital.  Based on that testing we currently have one new case of COVID-19 to report. This new case is a household member of the Lakena cases reported earlier, and he was already in isolation at Navua Hospital when he registered a positive result. Given his first test upon entering quarantine was negative, we do not view him as a high-risk case for wider transmission.

We have had 5 patients recover. This means there are now 48 active cases. 6 are border quarantine cases, 29 are of local transmission, and 13 remain under investigation.

Cases under investigation are considered as community transmission until proven otherwise.

Fiji has had 166 cases in total, with 114 recoveries and 4 deaths, since our first case was reported on March 19^th 2020.

Due to the temporary shutdown of Fiji CDC the most recent testing data is not available.

-ENDS-

Statement by Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Dr James Fong.

Bula Vinaka.

Since yesterday, we have been investigating the potential for further exposure of COVID-19 in the Fiji CDC. Our medical and laboratory staff have not registered positive test results at this time, however, we are in the process of deep cleaning and decontaminating the centre in line with advice received from the reference laboratory in Melbourne. As a result, there will be no testing onsite for at least another 24 hours.

The Fiji CDC is where we process the vast majority of COVID-19 tests. With the facility temporarily offline yesterday, the volume of our testing has decreased. Though testing has continued at Tamavua Twomey Hospital, CWM Hospital, Labasa Hospital and Lautoka Hospital. Based on that testing we currently have one new case of COVID-19 to report. This new case is a household member of the Lakena cases reported earlier, and he was already in isolation at Navua Hospital when he registered a positive result. Given his first test upon entering quarantine was negative, we do not view him as a high-risk case for wider transmission.

The CDC handles the bulk of our testing, and we’re focused on bringing it back online as soon and as safely as possible. Regardless of the temporary lull, we expect in swab processing, it remains vital that we use the next four days to identify and swab the contacts of existing cases in Suva and Nausori. That is much easier when we know everyone is securely at home. And until we have a clearer idea of the extent of transmission in the Suva-Nausori area, this lockdown serves the dual purpose of putting a firm halt on further spread. There may be community cases we do not know about. Keeping these potentially-positive people at home is the safest course of action. So the lockdown of Suva and Nausori is still scheduled to begin tonight at 11pm and end at 4am on Wednesday the 19th of May.

We’re going to use that window to trace and swab. Those are the marching orders Ministry-wide. Trace. Swab. Repeat. Those swab results will go for processing at our operational testing sites until the Fiji CDC is fully back up and running. The results of that exercise will inform our next steps. At this stage, we have not made a recommendation either way on the lockdown measures expanding to other areas or lengthening in duration.

If you are living in Suva or Nausori and you find yourself feeling unwell at any point through the next four days. Call 158. A team will visit you, or you may be referred to a screening clinic. Travel is permitted for medical emergencies –– we have made that clear from day one of this outbreak. So everyone can receive treatment if they need it, that has always included kidney dialysis patients who need to travel to receive life-sustaining treatment.

The Ministry of Economy has announced the details of food ration delivery during the lockdown period. From this Sunday, the 16th of May, at noon, Fijians living in Suva and Nausori who genuinely require an emergency food supply can call star-161-hashtag. Applicants must provide their name and other details, including their street address. As the Ministry of Economy has made clear, requests received before 12pm on 16 May 2021 will not be registered.

For the rest of Viti Levu, the new curfew hours from 6pm until 4am come into effect from Saturday. Our regular advice applies as always: wash your hands often and well, wear a mask and maintain physical distance if you have an essential reason to leave your home, and make sure you have careFIJI installed with Bluetooth turned on. For the most part, you should be at home as well. Stay home, Home is where the heroes manning hospitals and health centres, guarding containment area borders, and running tests at the CDC and our other laboratories all wish they could be. Instead, they are working to keep us safe. Honour that sacrifice. Stay home, save lives.

For Suva and Nausori, this lockdown must be decisive. It can be if everyone cooperates. The Fiji Police Force will be enforcing the stay-at-home order on the streets. But the Police cannot be in every community. They cannot stop every needless and potentially deadly interaction between different households. Only you –– those living in Suva and Nausori –– can hold yourselves accountable every hour of every day of this lockdown. I’d bet that some of you will receive a call or a text asking you to come over, hang out, or otherwise violate the lockdown measures. Don’t do it. I’m telling you now –– those asking you to break your bubble do not really care about you, they certainly do not care about the country. Ignore them. If you see gatherings of any size, report them. Those meet-ups can wait until they no longer put lives at risk. Keep your bubble small. Keep yourselves safe. Keep the faith, Fiji, in science and in each other.