Press Release

Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Tuesday, 21st September 2021 

Transmission Update

We have 118 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8 am today.

There have been 113 new recoveries to report since the last update, which means that there are now 12,948 active cases. There have been 50,128 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 50,198 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 36,258 recoveries.

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

Deaths

We have one new COVID-19 death to report today. The COVID-19 death has been reported from the Western Division.

The first COVID-19 death to report is a 59-year-old man from Nadi. He presented to the Nadi Hospital in severe respiratory distress. His family reported that he had a history of a cough and shortness of breath five days before his presentation. He was transferred to the Lautoka Hospital. Sadly, he died 28 days after admission (19/09/2021). 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. The doctors have determined that these deaths were caused by a serious pre-existing medical condition and not COVID-19.

There have now been 576 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 574 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. Please note that due to the time required by clinical teams to investigate, classify and report deaths, a 4-day interval is given to calculate the 7 days rolling average of deaths, based on the date of death, to help ensure the data collected is complete before the average is reported. Therefore, as of September 16th, the national 7 days rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 1.0. The 7 days rolling average for COVID-19 deaths per day in the Central Division is 0.4 and 0.6 in the Western Division.

We have also recorded 416 COVID-19 positive patients who died from the serious medical conditions that they had before they contracted COVID-19; these are not classified as COVID-19 deaths.

Hospitalisations

There are currently 114 COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital. 34 patients are admitted at the Lautoka Hospital and 80 are admitted at CWM hospital, St Giles, and Makoi. 2 patients are considered to be in severe condition, and 2 are in critical condition.

 Screening Update

A total of 9,896 individuals were screened and 685 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 634,461 individuals screened and 97,953 swabbed to date. Our mobile screening teams screened a total of 1050 individuals and swabbed 443. This brings our cumulative total to 839,328 individuals screened and 75,957 swabbed by our mobile teams.

Testing Update

A total of 358,649 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 401,510 tested since testing began in March 2020. 1343 tests have been reported for September 20th. The 7-day daily test average is 1,274 tests per day or 1.4 tests per 1,000 population. Weekly testing is at 8 tests per 1000 population, which remains above the WHO recommended level of 4 per 1000 population per week. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 10.8%, which is on a downward trend, but it still is indicating a high level of community transmission.

Vaccination Update

The Ministry of Health and Medical Services has completed its review of the adult target population for vaccination and we have updated the target population coverage accordingly. The mop-up vaccination program will continue and this may result in further adjustments to the target population.

Therefore, to date, a total of 588,599 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 398,077 have received their second doses. Based on our updated denominator for vaccine-eligible adults, the revised coverage rates are 95.2% for one dose and 64.4% for the two-dose coverage.

Our 15 to 17-year vaccination program began yesterday with some teething issues which we will continue to iron out over the next few days. Our denominator for this phase of vaccination is 45,691 and it is subject to adjustments as target population verification is an ongoing exercise. As emphasized in other announcements, the vaccination coverage rate in children will not determine the school starting dates. A task force has been established to look at ensuring adequate and appropriate oversight over the implementation and maintenance of all measures needed to make the school environment as safe as possible.

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

Epidemic Outlook

The 7-day average of new cases per day is 136 cases per day or 154 cases per million population per day. As previously announced by the Permanent Secretary, the daily case numbers in the Suva-Nausori corridor are currently not being used as the sole indicator to monitor the progress of the outbreak. The Ministry is closely monitoring other indicators such as test positivity, hospitalisations, and deaths to track the progress of the outbreak.

With the decrease in testing numbers, testing remains above the WHO recommended rate of 4 per 1000 population per week (or approx. 3500 tests per week). We will be transitioning to community surveillance testing as severe disease numbers and positivity rates approach the containment phase levels.

Four new cases were recorded on Kadavu Island in the last 24 hours bringing the total number of cases to 530. Of these, 54 remain active and under daily monitoring by the health team. Eleven patients are currently admitted at Vunisea hospital, of which 6 are COVID positive and currently in stable condition, and 5 are negative for COVID-19. Education and awareness sessions continue for the villages and communities. Beginning today, 5 vaccination teams from Vunisea hospital and 2 vaccination teams from Kavala health center are visiting villages and settlements conducting vaccination for the occupants. Movement restrictions remain in force supervised by the Police team and the Vanua.

No new cases have been reported for Malolo Island in the last 24 hours. Two cases have recovered and the 16 remaining active cases are monitored daily by the health team. Four high-risk cases are stable and remain in home isolation. Mop-up vaccination for 51 individuals was conducted at Yanuya Island, while the health team conducted surveillance and testing in Cubi and Yaro villages. Movement restrictions remain in force for all villages on Malolo Island.

One new case was diagnosed in Malevu village on Naviti Island in the last 24 hours. Of the total of 179 cases on the island, 90 individuals have recovered while 89 cases remain active and under surveillance by the health team. Movement restrictions are in place for all villages.

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

No new cases were reported in the Nacula Medical Area in the last 24 hours. The active cases remain in home isolation in their respective villages and are monitored daily by the health team from Nacula health center. The community engagement and health team visited the villages of Yamata, Naboro, and Koromakawa and conducted 38 NP swabbing and 58 vaccination for dose 1 and dose 2. Strict movement restriction remains in place for the whole island.

No new cases were recorded on Beqa Island in the last 24 hours. The 179 active cases are monitored daily by the health team. The team also visited the villages of Dakuibeqa, Dakuni, Lalati, Nawaisomo, Raviravi, Soliyaga, and Naceva. Movement restriction remains in force for the whole island.

Public Updates and Advice:

Vaccination of Eligible Children

Vaccination of eligible children aged 15 to 17 years with the Moderna vaccine continues throughout the country at designated vaccination sites for children, and parents are encouraged to register their children before vaccination. The vaccination sites for children can be obtained from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services Facebook page as well as the Government Facebook page. Parental or guardian consent is mandatory before vaccination. No vaccine will be administered to any child without the consent of the parent or guardian.

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

Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Monday, 20th September 2021 

Transmission Update

We have 121 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8 am today. 103 cases are from the Western Division and 18 cases are from the Central Division.

There have been 134 new recoveries to report since the last update, which means that there are now 12,948 active cases. There have been 50,010 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 50,080 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 36,145 recoveries.

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

Deaths

We have no new deaths to report today. However, as mentioned above and following further review of our active case database, we have an additional 9 COVID-19 deaths to report for the period of 12th July 2021- 09th August 2021. All deaths were reported from the Central Division. An analysis of the 9 deaths have highlighted that individuals were aged between 49 to 83 years, 44% (n=4) were males, 67% (n=6) of the individuals died at home or on their way to the hospital and 67 % (n=6 ) of these deaths were unvaccinated, the remaining 33% (n=3) received only one dose of the vaccine. This means that there were no deaths of individuals who were 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. The doctors have determined that these deaths were caused by a serious pre-existing medical condition and not COVID-19.

There have now been 575 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 573 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. Please note that due to the time required by clinical teams to investigate, classify and report deaths, a 4-day interval is given to calculate the 7 days rolling average of deaths, based on the date of death, to help ensure the data collected is complete before the average is reported. Therefore, as of September 15th, the national 7 days rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 1.1. The 7 days rolling average for COVID-19 deaths per day in the Central Division is 0.4 and 0.7 in the Western Division.

We have also recorded 412 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 111 COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital. 31 patients are admitted at the Lautoka Hospital and 80 are admitted at CWM hospital, St Giles, and Makoi. 3 patients are considered to be in severe condition, and 3 are in critical condition.

 Screening Update

A total of 813 individuals were screened and 148 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 624,565 individuals screened and 97,268 swabbed to date. Our mobile screening teams screened a total of 175 individuals and swabbed 114. This brings our cumulative total to 838,278 individuals screened and 75,514 swabbed by our mobile teams.

Testing Update

A total of 357,306 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 400,167 tested since testing began in March 2020. 857 tests have been reported for September 19th. Lab testing data from one lab is pending. Therefore, lab testing data is expected to increase. The 7-day daily test average is 1,296 tests per day or 1.5 tests per 1,000 population. Weekly testing is at 8 tests per 1000 population, which remains above the WHO recommended level of 4 per 1000 population per week. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 10.8%, which is on a downward trend, but it still is indicating a high level of community transmission.

Vaccination Update

As of the 19th of September 2021: 587,948 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 387,320 have received their second doses. This means that 98% of the target population have received at least one dose and 66% are now fully vaccinated nationwide.

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

Epidemic Outlook

The 7-day average of new cases per day is 138 cases per day or 156 cases per million population per day. As previously announced by the Permanent Secretary, the daily case numbers in the Suva-Nausori corridor are currently not being used as the sole indicator to monitor the progress of the outbreak. The Ministry is closely monitoring other indicators such as test positivity, hospitalisations, and deaths to track the progress of the outbreak.

With the decrease in testing numbers, testing remains above the WHO recommended rate of 4 per 1000 population per week (or approx. 3500 tests per week). We will be transitioning to community surveillance testing as severe disease numbers and positivity rates approach the containment phase levels.

Four new cases were recorded on Kadavu Island in the last 24 hours bringing the total number of cases to 530. Of these, 54 remain active and under daily monitoring by the health team. Eleven patients are currently admitted at Vunisea hospital, of which 6 are COVID positive and currently in stable condition, and 5 are negative for COVID-19. Education and awareness sessions continue for the villages and communities. Beginning today, 5 vaccination teams from Vunisea hospital and 2 vaccination teams from Kavala health center are visiting villages and settlements conducting vaccination for the occupants. Movement restrictions remain in force supervised by the Police team and the Vanua.

No new cases have been reported for Malolo Island in the last 24 hours, and the 18 remaining active cases are monitored daily by the health team. Four high-risk cases are stable and remain in home isolation. Movement restrictions remain in force for all villages on Malolo Island.

Five new cases have been reported on Naviti Island in the last 24 hours. Of the total of 178 cases on the island, 90 individuals have recovered while 88 cases remain active and under surveillance by the health team. Movement restrictions are in place for all villages.

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

Fifty-one new cases were diagnosed in the villages of Nacula, Bukama, Dalomo, Teci, and Yasawa-i-Rara villages on Nacula Island and Yasawa Island under the Nacula Medical Area in the last 24 hours. This brings the total number of cases in the medical area to 80, and they are now under isolation in their respective villages and monitored daily by the health team from Nacula health center. Strict movement restriction remains in place for the whole island.

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

Public Updates and Advice:

Vaccination of Eligible Children

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

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

Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Sunday, 19^th September 2021 

Transmission Update

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

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

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

Deaths

We have no new COVID-19 deaths today.

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

There have now been 566 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 564 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. Please note that due to the time required by clinical teams to investigate, classify and report deaths, a 4-day interval is given to calculate the 7 days rolling average of deaths, based on the date of death, to help ensure the data collected is complete before the average is reported. Therefore, as of September 14th, the national 7 days rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 1.1. The 7 days rolling average for COVID-19 deaths per day in the Central Division is 0.6 and 0.6 in the Western Division.

We also have recorded 401 COVID-19 positive patients who died from the serious medical conditions that they had before they contracted COVID-19; these are not classified as COVID-19 deaths.

Hospitalisations

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

Screening Update

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

Testing Update

A total of 355,992 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 398,853 tested since testing began in March 2020. 829 tests have been reported for September 18th. The 7-day daily test average is 1,210 tests per day or 1.4 tests per 1,000 population. Weekly testing is at 8 tests per 1000 population, which remains above the WHO recommended level of 4 per 1000 population per week. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 12%, which is on a downward trend but still indicating a high level of community transmission.

Vaccination Update 

To date, 587,948 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 387,320 have received their second doses. This means that 98% of the target population have received at least one dose and 66% are now fully vaccinated nationwide. Fijians can check the Ministry’s vaccine dashboard to find real-time data on first-dose and second-dose numbers at the national, divisional, and sub-divisional levels.

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

Epidemic Outlook

The 7-day average of new cases per day is 139 cases per day or 157 cases per million population per day. As previously announced by the Permanent Secretary, the daily case numbers in the Suva-Nausori corridor are currently not being used as the sole indicator to monitor the progress of the outbreak. The Ministry is closely monitoring other indicators such as test positivity, hospitalisations, and deaths to track the progress of the outbreak.

With the decrease in testing numbers, testing remains above the WHO recommended rate of 4 per 1000 population per week (or approx. 3500 tests per week). We will be transitioning to community surveillance testing as severe disease numbers and positivity rates approach the containment phase levels.

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

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

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

Public Updates and Advice:

Vaccination of Eligible Children

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

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

Border Health Protection

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

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

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

Lifting of Lockdown Borders

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

Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Saturday, 18^th September 2021 

Transmission Update

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

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

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

Deaths

We have no new COVID-19 deaths today.

There have now been 566 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 564 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. Please note that due to the time required by clinical teams to investigate, classify and report deaths, a 4-day interval is given to calculate the 7 days rolling average of deaths, based on the date of death, to help ensure the data collected is complete before the average is reported. Therefore, as of September 13th, the national 7 days rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 1.4. The 7 days rolling average for COVID-19 deaths per day in the Central Division is 0.9 and 0.6 in the Western Division.

We also have recorded 400 COVID-19 positive patients who died from the serious medical conditions that they had before they contracted COVID-19; these are not classified as COVID-19 deaths.

Hospitalisations

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

Screening Update

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

Testing Update

A total of 355,020 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 397,881 tested since testing began in March 2020. 816 tests have been reported for September 17th. The 7-day daily test average is 1,187 tests per day or 1.3 tests per 1,000 population. Weekly testing is at 8 tests per 1000 population, which remains above the WHO recommended level of 4 per 1000 population per week. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 13.4%, which is on a downward trend but still indicating a high level of community transmission.

Vaccination Update 

To date, 586,737 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 386,287 have received their second doses. This means that 97.9% of the target population have received at least one dose and 65.8% are now fully vaccinated nationwide. Fijians can check the Ministry’s vaccine dashboard to find real-time data on first-dose and second-dose numbers at the national, divisional, and sub-divisional levels.

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

Epidemic Outlook

The 7-day average of new cases per day is 146 cases per day or 165 cases per million population per day. As previously announced by the Permanent Secretary, daily case numbers in Suva-Nausori are currently not being used as the sole indicator to monitor the progress of the outbreak. The Ministry is closely monitoring other indicators such as test positivity, hospitalisations, and deaths to track the progress of the outbreak.

With the decrease in testing numbers, testing remains above the WHO recommended rate of 4 per 1000 population per week (or approx. 3500 tests per week). We will be transitioning to community surveillance testing as severe disease numbers and positivity rates approach the containment phase levels.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Public Updates and Advice:

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

Vaccination of Eligible Children

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

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

Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Friday, 17^th September 2021

Transmission Update

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

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

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

Deaths

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

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

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

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

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

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

There have now been 566 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 564 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. Please note that due to the time required by clinical teams to investigate, classify and report deaths, a 4-day interval is given to calculate the 7 day rolling average of deaths, based on the date of death, to help ensure the data collected is complete before the average is reported. Therefore, as of September 12th, the national 7 day rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 1.7. The 7 day rolling average for COVID-19 deaths per day in the Central Division is 1 and in the Western Division is 0.7.

We also have recorded 400 COVID-19 positive patients who died from the serious medical conditions that they had before they contracted COVID-19; these are not classified as COVID-19 deaths.

Hospitalisations

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

Screening Update

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

Testing Update

A total of 354,153 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 397,014 tested since testing began in March 2020. 1,510 tests have been reported for September 16th. The 7-day daily test average is 1,251 tests per day or 1.4 tests per 1,000 population. Weekly testing is at 8 tests per 1000 population, which remains above the WHO recommended level of 4 per 1000 population per week. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 12.2%, which is on a downward trend but still indicating a high level of community transmission.

Vaccination Update 

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

Fijians can check the Ministry’s vaccine dashboard to find real-time data on first-dose and second-dose numbers at the national, divisional, and sub-divisional levels.

Epidemic Outlook

The 7-day average of new cases per day is 143 cases per day or 162 cases per million population per day. As previously announced by the Permanent Secretary, daily case numbers in Suva-Nausori are currently not being used as the sole indicator to monitor the progress of the outbreak. The Ministry is closely monitoring other indicators such as test positivity, hospitalisations, and deaths to track the progress of the outbreak.

With the decrease in testing numbers, testing remains above the WHO recommended rate of 4 per 1000 population per week (or approx. 3500 tests per week). We will be transitioning to community surveillance testing as severe disease numbers and positivity rates approach the containment phase levels.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Public Updates and Advice:

The Opening of Local Borders

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

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

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

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

Vaccination of Eligible Children

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

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