Last Updated on 3 months by Publishing Team
Statement by Permanent Secretary for Health & Medical Services
COVID-19 Daily Update
Friday 4th June 2021
Transmission Update
We have recorded 35 new cases since our last daily update yesterday. All the cases are from the Suva-Nausori containment zone. 1 is a case from the Navy cluster that was reported last night.
The remaining 34 new cases were recorded today and are linked to the following clusters:
CWMH cluster- 10
Ministry of Health Headquarters COVID-19 Incident Management Team (IMT-HQ)- 3
IMT warehouse Lami – 11
Navosai cluster -5
Navy cluster- 2
Nadali cluster- 1
There are 2 new cases from Navosai and Tamavua under investigation to determine any links to other cases.
The 3 cases from the Ministry of Health’s Headquarters COVID-19 IMT were picked up as a result of a program of routine swabbing of our health staff. More than 80 staff at the Ministry of Health’s Headquarters at Dinem House were swabbed – with all but the 3 returning negative results. Staff identified as primary contacts of the 3 cases will quarantine for 14 days. While secondary contacts (contacts of the primary contacts) will self quarantine at home for at least 4 days, awaiting results of day 4 swabs of the primary contacts.
6 patients have recovered, which means there are now 378 active cases in isolation. There have been 501 cases during the current outbreak that started in April 2021.
We have recorded a total of 571 cases in Fiji since the first case in March 2020, with 189 recoveries and 4 deaths.
Surveillance Update
We continue to conduct contact tracing, screening and testing aggressively, which is our best defense against community spread until we reach our vaccination goals. Our stationary screening and mobile screening clinics screened 18,611 people yesterday from which 2582 persons were swab tested.
COVID-Safe Measures
Worldwide, we have now lived with this virus for some 15 months and have learned of the measures we need to take to prevent the spread of the virus. We know that if we simply stay isolated and not come into contact with another person, the vaccine would disappear after 14 days. Unfortunately, we can’t do that, so we need to employ other effective preventative measures. The most important among them are mask-wearing and social distancing! It is therefore distressing to see that after all these months, there are still people who refuse to accept and follow these simple measures. Yes, they are inconvenient, but they are necessary and they are effective.
If we all follow those practices, we can make great progress in stopping this virus. We also know that testing is extremely useful in preventing the spread of the virus because it allows us to identify people who have the virus and isolate them appropriately. That action has two purposes: It prevents positive patients from transmitting the virus to others, and it allows health care workers to observe them and provide medical attention when needed. The ministry urges everyone to cooperate with the surveillance teams and to agree to be screened and swabbed. It could save your life and the lives of others, and you will be doing your part to keep Fiji safe.
Despite the recent development with the IMT, the team with the leadership of the Permanent Secretary remains fully engaged in spearheading and facilitating every aspect of the current whole of government response to the outbreak in Fiji