MHMS FIJI
MHMS FIJI

Press Release

COVID-19 Update – 06-08-2021
Media Release
COVID-19 Daily Update
Friday, 06 August 2021
 
Transmission Update
 
We have 752 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8am today. 88 cases are from the Western Division and 664 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 and on the Fijian Government Facebook page. 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 have been 268 new recoveries reported since the last update, which means that there are now 23,696 active cases. 18,967 active cases are in the Central Division and 4,729 in the West. All cases that were recorded in the Northern and Eastern Divisions (cases that were imported from Viti Levu) have recovered and there are no active cases currently in those divisions.
 
There have been 35,570 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 35,640 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 11,501 recoveries.
 
Deaths
 
We have 7 new COVID-19 deaths to report for the period of 10th July – 05th August. 6 of the deaths were in the Central Division, and 1 death was from the Western Division.
 
The first COVID-19 death to report is a 75-year-old man from Tailevu. He presented to a medical facility in severe respiratory distress. His condition worsened at the medical facility and he died on the same day (05/08/2021). 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 fully vaccinated.
 
The second COVID-19 death to report is a 53-year-old man from Nausori who died at home on 04/08/2021. He was not vaccinated.
 
The third COVID-19 death to report is a 58-year-old man from Vatuwaqa who died at home on 05/08/2021. He was not vaccinated.
 
The fourth COVID-19 death to report is a 52-year-old man from Naitasiri. He presented to a medical facility in severe respiratory distress. His condition worsened at the medical facility and he died on the same day (05/08/2021). He was not vaccinated.
 
The fifth COVID death to report is a 48-year-old man from Narere who died at home on 05/08/2021. He was not vaccinated.
The sixth COVID-19 death to report is a 49-year-old woman from Nadi who presented to the Nadi Sub-Divisional Hospital with an altered level of consciousness. Her family reported that she was noted to be unwell one day prior to her presentation. Her condition worsened in the hospital and she died on the same day (04/08/2021). She was not vaccinated.
 
The seventh COVID-19 death to report is a 78-year-old man from Cunningham. He presented to the CWM hospital in severe respiratory distress. His condition worsened at the hospital and he died 14 days after admission (10/07/2021). He was not vaccinated.
 
There have been 7 more deaths of COVID-19 positive patients. However, their 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 290 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 288 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. The 7 day rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 6. We also have recorded 153 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 295 COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital. 52 patients are admitted to the Lautoka hospital. In Suva, 77 patients are admitted at the FEMAT field hospital, and 166 were admitted at CWM hospital, St Giles, and Makoi. 51 patients are considered to be in severe condition, and 10 are in critical condition.
 
Screening Update
 
A total of 5,502 individuals were screened and 640 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 416,644 individuals screened and 74,533 swabbed to date. As of the 05th of August, our mobile screening teams screened a total of 2,300 individuals and swabbed 186. This brings our cumulative total to 778,334 individuals screened and 68,648 swabbed by our mobile teams.
 
Testing Update
 
A total of 289,980 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 332,841 tested since testing began in March 2020. 2743 tests have been reported for August 4th. The national 7-day daily test average is 3300 tests per day or 3.7 tests per 1,000 population. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 32.1 %.
 
Vaccination Update
 
As of the 05th August, 504,695 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 170,901 have received their second doses. This means that 86% of the target population have received at least one dose and 29.1% 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. You can access the live dashboard at http://bit.ly/3h2JfCZ
 
Epidemic Outlook
 
The 7-day average of new cases per day is 997 cases per day or 1127 cases per million population per day. Daily cases numbers remain high, and daily test positivity remains high, indicating ongoing widespread community transmission in the Suva-Nausori containment zone. Cases are also increasing in the West with evidence of community transmission in that division. We are also recording increasing numbers of people with severe disease and deaths in the West. The Northern and Eastern Divisions currently have no active cases.
 
Advice to the public
 
The following was announced in a public advisory issued earlier today:
 
COVID-19 health services in the Western Division.
 
The Ministry of Health and Medical Services wishes to inform the public that due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the Western Division, it is necessary to adjust the current health services strategy for the division in Mitigation Phase.
 
Residents for the whole of the Western Division from the Nadroga medical subdivision to the Ra medical subdivision are requested to note that the Ministry of Health and Medical Services will, in the coming days, be varying its public advisories and guidelines to reflect the evolving COVID-19 situation
Some of the initial changes in this Mitigation Phase are below, and they strictly apply to members of the public in the Western division only:
 
Screening and Testing
 
Individuals experiencing COVID-19 symptoms: cough, runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing, fatigue/extreme tiredness, headache, aches and pains, sore throat, fever, diarrhea, red eyes (conjunctivitis), loss of taste or smell, a rash on the skin should visit the nearest screening clinic for testing.
 
Individuals who test positive will be provided immediate advice and care by the health teams at the screening facility.
 
Pregnant Women
 
Pregnant women experiencing COVID-19 symptoms: cough, runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing, fatigue/extreme tiredness, headache, aches and pains, sore throat, fever, diarrhea, red eyes (conjunctivitis), loss of taste or smell, a rash on the skin, must immediately visit a screening clinic for testing.
Pregnant women who test positive will be provided immediate advice and care by the health teams at the screening facility.
 
Contact Tracing
 
The Western Division health teams will no longer carry out contact tracing. Health response teams in the Western Division will now be redirected to the identification and close monitoring of people with COVID-19 symptoms who are at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19.
 
Members of the public who return positive COVID-19 test results will be provided advice and resources to aid their self-isolation at home. COVID-19 positive cases are encouraged to take responsibility and share information and advice with their known primary contacts.
 
Primary contact testing and clearance
 
Clearance testing will no longer be required for primary contacts. Primary contacts are required to self-isolate at home for 14-days from the day the known COVID-19 case they had close contact with, tested positive, or 14 days from the day of the last contact with a known COVID-19 case.
 
Workers requiring official leave from work can attend the nearest screening clinic or Health Care Facility to be checked and obtain a medical certificate for 14 days of self-isolation at home.
Additional Information
Clearance testing will no longer be required for primary contacts. Primary contacts are required to self-isolate at home for 14-days from the day the known COVID-19 case they had close contact with, tested positive, or 14 days from the day of the last contact with a known COVID-19 case.r home and attend a screening clinic, in these exceptional circumstances, individuals can call 158 and request a home swabbing service.
The public is advised to please take responsibility to stop community transmission by continuing to practice the following: wear a mask, wash your hands regularly with soap and water or use a hand sanitizer, practice safe physical distancing of 2m apart, cover your cough and sneeze, wipe frequently touched surfaces and objects with disinfectant. Get vaccinated and encourage your family members to vaccinate too. Stay in your bubble and avoid close contact with people who do not live with you.
Businesses are also asked to take responsibility for the decontamination of their premises. Please continue to ensure that the workplace is well ventilated. Encourage your staff to wipe down frequently touched surfaces with disinfectants at least three times a day. Businesses are encouraged to arrange rosters for their employees to ensure safe physical distancing at work. If any employee starts showing symptoms, please ensure they visit a screening clinic and self-isolate at home.
Main Clinical Health facilities
· All major health facilities will continue to remain fully functional in all subdivisions in the West, providing emergency services, admissions, and inpatient care for COVID and non-COVID diseases.
· General outpatient services continue in the health centers.
· SOPD services at Lautoka Hospital are currently suspended. Prescription refills for SOPD clients are available from the Girmit Centre.
· ANC clinics in Lautoka are available at the Girmit Centre, junction of Kings Road and Tavakubu Rd. Appointments for ANC clinics are made with the doctor at your nearest health center.
Request for food assistance
Individuals who return positive test results for COVID-19 and are immediately asked to self-isolate will have food ration requests facilitated by the sub-divisional health teams in your area.
Curfew hours
Curfew hours remain from 6pm – 4am.
COVID-19 Update – 05-08-2021
Media Release
COVID-19 Daily Update
Thursday, 05 August 2021
 
Transmission Update
 
We have 968 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8 am today. 292 cases are from the Western Division and 676 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 and on the Fijian Government Facebook page. 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 have been 385 new recoveries reported since the last update, which means that there are now 23,226 active cases. 18,589 active cases are in the Central Division and 4,637 in the West. All cases that were recorded in the Northern and Eastern Divisions (cases that were imported from Viti Levu) have recovered and there are no active cases currently in those divisions.
 
There have been 34,818 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 34,888 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 11,233 recoveries.
 
Deaths
 
We have 11 new COVID-19 deaths to report for the period of 02nd August – 05th August. 8 of the deaths were in the Central Division, and 3 deaths were from the Western Division.
 
The first COVID-19 death to report is a 15-year-old from Tavua. She presented to a medical facility in respiratory distress and she was transferred to Lautoka Hospital. Her family reported that she had a fever, cough, and shortness of breath two days prior to presentation. Clinical investigations revealed that she was positive for both leptospirosis and COVID-19. Sadly, her condition worsened at the hospital and she died one day after admission (03/08/2021). Her doctors have determined that she died from severe COVID-19 with leptospirosis. Both diseases contributed to her death. She was not vaccinated against COVID-19; she was not in the target population of people 18 years and over that are eligible to receive the vaccine.
 
The second COVID-19 death to report is a 60-year-old man from Lami who died at home on 04/08/2021. He was not vaccinated.
 
The third COVID-19 death to report is a 51-year-old woman from Raiwaqa who died at home on 04/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.
 
The fourth COVID-19 death to report is an 85-year-old man from Lautoka. He was declared dead on arrival by the attending medical officer at the Lautoka Hospital Emergency Department. This means that he died at home or on his way to the hospital. He was not vaccinated.
 
The fifth COVID-19 death to report is an 88-year-old man from Sigatoka. He was declared dead on arrival by the attending medical officer at the Sigatoka Sub Divisional Hospital. This means that he died at home or on his way to the hospital. He was not vaccinated.
 
The sixth COVID-19 death to report is an 86 year old man from Toorak who presented to the CWM Hospital in severe respiratory distress. His condition worsened in the hospital and he died on the same day (04/08/2021). He received the first dose of the vaccine in early June. 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 an 85-year-old woman from Tailevu who died at home on 02/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.
 
The eighth COVID-19 death to report is a 55-year-old man from Tailevu who died at home on 02/08/2021. He was not vaccinated.
The ninth COVID-19 death to report is a 70-year-old woman from Tailevu who died at home on 02/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.
 
The tenth COVID-19 death to report is a 90-year-old man from Raiwai who died at home on 05/08/2021. He was not vaccinated.
 
The eleventh COVID-19 death to report is an 85-year-old man from Naitasiri who died at home on 04/08/2021. He was not vaccinated.
 
There have been 4 more deaths of COVID-19 positive patients. However, their 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 283 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 281 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. The 7 day rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 6. We also have recorded 146 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 311 COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital. 63 patients are admitted to the Lautoka hospital. In Suva, 78 patients are admitted at the FEMAT field hospital, and 170 were admitted at CWM hospital, St Giles, and Makoi. 48 patients are considered to be in severe condition, and 6 are in critical condition.
 
Screening Update
 
A total of 5,604 individuals were screened and 636 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 411,142 individuals screened and 73,893 swabbed to date. As of the 04th of August, our mobile screening teams screened a total of 1,928 individuals and swabbed 91. This brings our cumulative total to 776,034 individuals screened and 68,462 swabbed by our mobile teams.
 
Testing Update
 
A total of 287,237 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 330,098 tested since testing began in March 2020. 3352 tests have been reported for August 3rd. The national 7-day daily test average is 3401 tests per day or 3.8 tests per 1,000 population. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 32.4 %.
 
Vaccination Update
 
As of the 04th August, 498,680 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 164,974 have received their second doses. This means that 85% of the target population have received at least one dose and 28.1% 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. You can access the live dashboard at http://bit.ly/3h2JfCZ
 
Epidemic Outlook
 
The 7-day average of new cases per day is 1156 cases per day or 1193 cases per million population per day. Daily cases numbers remain high, and daily test positivity remains high, indicating ongoing widespread community transmission in the Suva-Nausori containment zone. Cases are also increasing in the West with evidence of community transmission in that division. We are also recording increasing numbers of people with severe disease and deaths in the West. The Northern and Eastern Divisions currently have no active cases.
 
Advice to the public
 
The following was announced in a public advisory issued earlier today:
 
COVID-19 health services in the Western Division.
The Ministry of Health and Medical Services wishes to inform the public that due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the Western Division, it is necessary to adjust the current health services strategy for the division in Mitigation Phase.
 
Residents for the whole of the Western Division from the Nadroga medical subdivision to the Ra medical subdivision are requested to note that the Ministry of Health and Medical Services will, in the coming days, be varying its public advisories and guidelines to reflect the evolving COVID-19 situation
Some of the initial changes in this Mitigation Phase are below, and they strictly apply to members of the public in the Western division only:
 
Screening and Testing
 
Individuals experiencing COVID-19 symptoms: cough, runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing, fatigue/extreme tiredness, headache, aches and pains, sore throat, fever, diarrhea, red eyes (conjunctivitis), loss of taste or smell, a rash on the skin should visit the nearest screening clinic for testing.
 
Individuals who test positive will be provided immediate advice and care by the health teams at the screening facility.
 
Pregnant Women
 
Pregnant women experiencing COVID-19 symptoms: cough, runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing, fatigue/extreme tiredness, headache, aches and pains, sore throat, fever, diarrhea, red eyes (conjunctivitis), loss of taste or smell, a rash on the skin, must immediately visit a screening clinic for testing.
Pregnant women who test positive will be provided immediate advice and care by the health teams at the screening facility.
 
Contact Tracing
 
The Western Division health teams will no longer carry out contact tracing. Health response teams in the Western Division will now be redirected to the identification and close monitoring of people with COVID-19 symptoms who are at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19.
 
Members of the public who return positive COVID-19 test results will be provided advice and resources to aid their self-isolation at home. COVID-19 positive cases are encouraged to take responsibility and share information and advice with their known primary contacts.
 
Primary contact testing and clearance
 
Clearance testing will no longer be required for primary contacts. Primary contacts are required to self-isolate at home for 14-days from the day the known COVID-19 case they had close contact with, tested positive, or 14 days from the day of the last contact with a known COVID-19 case.
 
Workers requiring official leave from work can attend the nearest screening clinic or Health Care Facility to be checked and obtain a medical certificate for 14 days of self-isolation at home.
 
Additional Information
Families and caregivers of the vulnerable including the elderly, are urged to monitor the health of their loved ones. If they develop COVID-19 symptoms, please take them to the nearest screening clinic. If an individual has a disability or is otherwise physically unable to leave their home and attend a screening clinic, in these exceptional circumstances, individuals can call 158 and request a home swabbing service.
The public is advised to please take responsibility to stop community transmission by continuing to practice the following: wear a mask, wash your hands regularly with soap and water or use a hand sanitizer, practice safe physical distancing of 2m apart, cover your cough and sneeze, wipe frequently touched surfaces and objects with disinfectant. Get vaccinated and encourage your family members to vaccinate too. Stay in your bubble and avoid close contact with people who do not live with you.
Businesses are also asked to take responsibility for the decontamination of their premises. Please continue to ensure that the workplace is well ventilated. Encourage your staff to wipe down frequently touched surfaces with disinfectants at least three times a day. Businesses are encouraged to arrange rosters for their employees to ensure safe physical distancing at work. If any employee starts showing symptoms, please ensure they visit a screening clinic and self-isolate at home.
Main Clinical Health facilities
· All major health facilities will continue to remain fully functional in all subdivisions in the West, providing emergency services, admissions, and inpatient care for COVID and non-COVID diseases.
· General outpatient services continue in the health centers.
· SOPD services at Lautoka Hospital are currently suspended. Prescription refills for SOPD clients are available from the Girmit Centre.
· ANC clinics in Lautoka are available at the Girmit Centre, junction of Kings Road and Tavakubu Rd. Appointments for ANC clinics are made with the doctor at your nearest health center.
Request for food assistance
Individuals who return positive test results for COVID-19 and are immediately asked to self-isolate will have food ration requests facilitated by the sub-divisional health teams in your area.
Curfew Hours
Curfew hours remain from 6 pm – 4 am.
COVID-19 Update – 04-08-2021

Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Wednesday, 04 August 2021

Transmission Update

We have 1187 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8am today. 387 cases are from the Western Division and 800 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 and on the Fijian Government Facebook page. 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 have been 1204 new recoveries reported since the last update, which means that there are now 22,658 active cases. 18,318 active cases are in the Central Division and 4,340 in the West. All cases that were recorded in the Northern and Eastern Divisions (cases that were imported from Viti Levu) have recovered and there are no active cases currently in those divisions.

There have been 33,850 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 33,920 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 10,848 recoveries.

Deaths

We have 11 new COVID-19 deaths to report for the period of 31st July- 04th August. 9 of the deaths were in the Central Division, and 2 deaths were from the Western Division.

The first COVID-19 death to report is a 65-year-old man from Nasinu who died at home on 03/08/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The second COVID-19 death to report is a 75-year-old man from Suva who died at home on 02/08/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The third COVID-19 death to report is a 68-year-old woman from Kinoya who died at home on 31/07/2021. She was not vaccinated

The fourth COVID-19 death to report is a 78-year-old woman from Tailevu. She presented to a medical facility in severe respiratory distress. Her condition worsened at the medical facility and she died on the same day (03/08/2021). She was not vaccinated.

The fifth COVID-19 death to report is a 71-year-old man from Tailevu who died at home on 31/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The sixth COVID-19 death to report is a 50-year-old woman from Lautoka. She was declared dead on arrival by the attending medical officer at the Lautoka Hospital. This means that she died at home or on her way to the hospital. She was not vaccinated.

The seventh COVID-19 death to report is a 21-year-old man from Malake Island. He was declared dead on arrival by the attending medical officer at the Rakiraki Sub-Divisional Hospital. This means that he died at home or on his way to the hospital. His family reported that he had shortness of breath one day prior to the presentation. He received his first dose of the vaccine in early May. He did not receive the second dose of the vaccine. This means that he was not fully vaccinated.

The eighth COVID-19 death to report is a 53-year-old woman from Nasinu. She presented to the CWM Hospital Emergency Department in severe respiratory distress. Her condition worsened at the hospital and she died one day after admission (03/08/2021). She was not vaccinated.

The ninth COVID-19 death to report is a 44-year-old man from Suva who died at home on 04/08/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The tenth COVID-19 death to report is a 60-year woman from Caubati who died at home on 04/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The eleventh COVID-19 death to report is a 61-year woman from Makoi who died at home on 04/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.

There have been 3 more deaths of COVID-19 positive patients. However, their 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 272 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 270 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. The 7 day rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 7.  We also have recorded 142 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

In the Central Division: There are currently 254 COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital. 79 patients are admitted at the FEMAT field hospital, and 175 were admitted at CWM hospital, St Giles, and Makoi. 46 patients are considered to be in severe condition, and 10 are in critical condition. Hospital admission data for the Western Division is awaiting an update.

Screening Update

A total of 5,586 individuals were screened and 766 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 405,538 individuals screened and 72,528 swabbed to date. As of the 03rd August, our mobile screening teams screened a total of 1,803 individuals and swabbed 201. This brings our cumulative total to 774, 106 individuals screened and 68,371 swabbed by our mobile teams.

 Testing update

A total of 283,885 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 326,746 tested since testing began in March 2020. 3504 tests have been reported for August 02nd. Based on available data the national 7-day daily test average is 3388 tests per day or 3.8 tests per 1,000 population. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 32.0 %.

Vaccination Update

As of the 03rd August 494, 855 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 158,271 have received their second doses. This means that 84.4% of the target population have received at least one dose and 27% 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. You can access the live dashboard at http://bit.ly/3h2JfCZ

Epidemic Outlook

The 7-day average of new cases per day is 1103 cases per day or 1247 cases per million population per day. Daily cases numbers remain high, and daily test positivity remains high, indicating ongoing widespread community transmission in the Suva-Nausori containment zone. Cases are also increasing in the West with evidence of community transmission in that division.  We are also recording increasing numbers of people with severe disease and deaths in the West. The Northern and Eastern Divisions currently have no active cases.

Advice to the public

The Ministry of Health and Medical Services, with assistance from the World Health Organisation, has reviewed the current advice that recommends a waiting period of 90 days before a person previously infected with COVID-19 should receive a COVID-19 vaccine.   Based on updated evidence, and advice from WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE), and established practice in other countries, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services now advises that all those who have recovered recently from COVID-19 or presumed COVID-19 are eligible for vaccination once they have completed 14 days of isolation and recovered from acute illness.

The evidence is that the vaccine is safe for people with prior COVID-19 infection, including within 90 days of recent recovery. Furthermore, while there is evidence that previous infection confers immunity for at least 6 months; immunity from the previous infection will have limited protection from other variants of concern. This is why people who have been previously infected with COVID-19 need to be vaccinated. We are also aware that the previous advice was partly promoted when vaccine supply was limited to ensure priority is given to those without any immunity. Given the high level of vaccine supply, the safety data, the need for broader protection, and the highly transmissible nature of the Delta variant, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services advice is that all those who have recovered recently from COVID-19 or presumed COVID-19 are eligible for vaccination once they have completed 14 days of isolation and recovered from acute illness.

COVID-19 Update – 03-08-2021

Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Tuesday, 03 August 2021

Transmission Update

We have 1220 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8am today. 464 cases are from the Western Division and 756 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 and on the Fijian Government Facebook page. 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 have been 1113 new recoveries reported since the last update, which means that there are now 22,689 active cases. 18,506 active cases are in the Central Division and 4,183 in the West. All cases that were recorded in the Northern and Eastern Divisions (cases that were imported from Viti Levu) have recovered and there are no active cases currently in those divisions.

There have been 32,663 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 32,733 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 9,644  recoveries.

Deaths

We have 7 new COVID-19 deaths to report for the period of 31st July- 02nd August. 6 of the deaths were in the Central Division, and 1 death was from the Western Division.

The first COVID-19 death to report is a 24 year old man from Tailevu. He presented to a medical facility in severe respiratory distress. A medical team retrieved him from the facility and on the way to the CWM hospital his condition worsened. He sadly died before reaching the CWM hospital (01/08/2021). His family reported that he was experiencing shortness of breath one week prior to his presentation. He was not vaccinated.

The second COVID-19 death to report is a 78 year old man from Kalabu who died at home on the 01/08/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The third COVID-19 death to report is an 85 year old woman from Nasinu who died at home on the 02/08/2021. She received the 1st dose of the vaccine in early August. 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 67 year old woman from Nabua who died at home on the 01/08/2021. She received her 1st 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 65 year old man from Sigatoka. He was declared dead on arrival by the attending medical officer at the Sigatoka Sub-Divisional Hospital. This means that he died at home or on his way to the hospital. He was not vaccinated.

The sixth COVID-19 death to report is a 48 year old woman from Nabena Village who died at home on the 02/08/2021. Her family reported that she had a cough, fever, shortness of breath and chest pain for one week prior. She was not vaccinated.

The seventh COVID-19 death to report is a 54 year old man from Cunningham who died at home on the 31/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.

There have been 3 more deaths of COVID-19 positive patients. However, their 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 261 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 259 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. The 7 day rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 8.  We also have recorded 139 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 295 COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital. 23 patients are admitted at Lautoka hospital. In Suva, 80 patients are admitted at the FEMAT field hospital, and 191 admitted at CWM hospital, St Giles, and Makoi. 50 patients are considered to be in severe condition, and 12 are in critical condition.

Screening Update

A total of 992 individuals were screened and 163 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 394,294 individuals screened and 71,762 swabbed to date. As of the 01st August our mobile screening teams screened a total of 289 individuals and swabbed 41. This brings our cumulative total to 770,493 individuals screened and 68,102 swabbed by our mobile teams.

Testing update

A total of 280,381 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 323,242 tested since testing began in March 2020. 3228 tests have been reported for August 01st. Based on available data the national 7-day daily test average is 3372 tests per day or 3.8 tests per 1,000 population. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 30.0 %.

Vaccination Update

As of the 02nd August 491,056 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 151,866 have received their second doses. This means that 83.7% of the target population have received at least one dose and 25.9% 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. You can access the live dashboard at http://bit.ly/3h2JfCZ

Epidemic Outlook

The 7-day average of new cases per day is 1085 cases per day or 1226 cases per million population per day. Daily cases numbers remain high, and daily test positivity remains high, indicating ongoing widespread community transmission in the Suva-Nausori containment zone. Cases are also increasing in the West with evidence of community transmission in that division.  We are also recording increasing numbers of people with severe disease, and deaths in the West. The Northern and Eastern Divisions currently have no active cases.

Advice to the public

For people with COVID-19 symptoms in Suva-Nausori:

If you or someone you are caring for has mild symptoms but is at high risk of severe COVID – in particular individuals over 50 years, have a chronic illness such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, asthma, are obese, or are pregnant – we need you to visit one of our screening clinics and get tested. If you test positive, then we will ensure you are provided immediate care by our health teams.

Community transmission within the Suva-Nausori containment zone is at a very high level. This means that anyone who develops symptoms of COVID-19 in Suva-Nausori should assume that they have COVID-19. Most people infected with COVID-19 will have mild symptoms like cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever, loss of taste or smell, body ache, or headache, and will fully recover at home with no medical intervention necessary. People who have any of these symptoms and are not within a group that is at higher risk for developing severe COVID-19 will no longer be tested for COVID-19, and should stay at home, strictly self-isolate for 14 days, and continue to monitor your symptoms for severe COVID-19.

If you develop any signs of severe COVID-19, like difficulty breathing or chest pain, please go immediately to one of our dedicated health facilities: 

– Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH)

– FEMAT Hospital, Vodafone Arena

Individuals in Nausori with severe symptoms should go to:

– Nausori Health Centre

-Wainibokasi Hospital

Call 165 if you are unable to travel to a medical facility. 

1.) For symptomatic workers who need official leave from work, they are recommended to attend the nearest screening clinic to be checked and to obtain a medical certificate for the 14 days of home isolation.

2.) Symptomatic workers can also obtain a medical certificate for the 14 days self-isolation at home from participating General Practitioners (GPs).

For people anywhere else in Fiji:

Please call 158 or go to your nearest screening clinic for testing if you have any symptoms of COVID-19. If you do leave your home to go to a screening clinic: please wear a mask that covers your mouth and nose, keep at least 2 metres between yourself and others outside your household, wash your hands with soap and water frequently or use hand sanitiser, and download and activate the careFIJI app if you have a smartphone, and avoid using public transport. Also call 158 if you have been in contact with someone confirmed as a case of COVID-19.

COVID-19 Update – 02-08-2021
Media Release
COVID-19 Daily Update
Monday, 02nd August 2021
Transmission Update
We have 1100 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8am today. 386 cases are from the Western Division and 714 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 and on the Fijian Government Facebook page. 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 have been 589 new recoveries reported since the last update, which means that there are now 22,592 active cases. 18,887 active cases are in the Central Division and 3,705 in the West. All cases that were recorded in the Northern and Eastern Divisions (cases that were imported from Viti Levu) have recovered and there are no active cases currently in those divisions.
 
There have been 31,443 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 31,513 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 8,531 recoveries.
 
Deaths
We have 13 new COVID-19 deaths to report for the period of 29th July- 01st August. 7 of the deaths were in the Central Division, and 6 were in the West.
 
The first COVID-19 death to report is a 79 year old man from Rewa who died at home on 01/08/2021. He received the 1st 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 48 year old man from Nepani. He presented to the CWM Hospital emergency department in severe respiratory distress. His condition worsened at the hospital and he died on the same day (31/07/2021). He received the 1st dose of the vaccine in early June. 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 a 67 year old man from Lami who died at home on the 31/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.
 
The fourth COVID-19 death to report is a 69 year old man from Suva who died at home on the 30/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.
 
The fifth COVID-19 death to report is a 44 year old woman from Lami. She presented to a medical facility in severe respiratory distress. A medical team retrieved her from the medical facility and brought her to the CWM hospital. Her condition worsened in the hospital and she died 2 days after admission on 30/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.
 
The sixth COVID-19 death to report is a 55 year old woman from Lautoka. She presented to the Lautoka Hospital in severe respiratory distress. Her condition worsened in the hospital and she died 6 days after admission on 01/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.
 
The seventh COVID-19 death to report is a 39 year old woman from Lautoka. She presented to the Lautoka Hospital in severe respiratory distress. Her condition worsened in the hospital and she died 8 days after admission on 01/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.
 
The eighth COVID-19 death to report is a 53 year old woman from Nadi. She presented to the Nadi Hospital in severe respiratory distress. Her condition worsened in the hospital and she died 1 days after admission on 01/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.
 
The ninth COVID-19 death to report is a 55 year old woman from Lautoka. She presented to the Lautoka Hospital in severe respiratory distress. Her condition worsened in the hospital and she died 2 days after admission on 01/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.
 
The tenth COVID-19 death to report is an 81 year old woman from Sigatoka. She presented to the Sigatoka Hospital in severe respiratory distress. Her condition worsened in the hospital and she died 3 days after admission on 31/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.
 
The eleventh COVID-19 death to report is a 90 year old man from Sigatoka who died at home on the 29/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.
 
The twelfth COVID-19 death to report is a 77 year old woman from Tamavua. She presented to the FEMAT field hospital in severe respiratory distress. A medical team retrieved her from the FEMAT field hospital and brought her to the CWM Hospital. Her condition worsened in the hospital and she died 12 days after admission on the 29/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.
 
The thirteenth COVID-19 death to report is an 87 year old woman from Nakasi. She presented to a medical facility in severe respiratory distress. A medical team retrieved her from the medical facility and brought her to the CWM Hospital. Her condition worsened in the hospital and she died 14 days after admission on the 02/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.
 
There have been 6 more deaths of COVID-19 positive patients. However, their 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 254 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 252 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. The 7 day rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 7. We also have recorded 136 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 302 COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital. 23 patients are admitted at Lautoka hospital. In Suva, 80 patients are admitted at the FEMAT field hospital, and 199 admitted at CWM hospital, St Giles, and Makoi. 50 patients are considered to be in severe condition, and 13 are in critical condition.
 
Screening Update
 
A total of 992 individuals were screened and 163 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 394,294 individuals screened and 71,762 swabbed to date. As of the 01st August our mobile screening teams screened a total of 289 individuals and swabbed 41. This brings our cumulative total to 770,493 individuals screened and 68,102 swabbed by our mobile teams.
Testing update
 
A total of 277,016 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 319,877 tested since testing began in March 2020. 3223 tests have been reported for July 31st. Testing number data for one lab for July 31st is pending. Based on available data the national 7-day daily test average is 3296 tests per day or 3.7 tests per 1,000 population. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 31.8 %.
Vaccination Update
 
As of the 01st August 484,629 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 144,194 have received their second doses. This means that 82.6% of the target population have received at least one dose and 24.6% 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. You can access the live dashboard at http://bit.ly/3h2JfCZ
 
Epidemic Outlook
 
The 7-day average of new cases per day is 1013 cases per day or 1145 cases per million population per day. Daily cases numbers remain high, and daily test positivity remains high, indicating ongoing widespread community transmission in the Suva-Nausori containment zone. Cases are also increasing in the West with evidence of community transmission in that division. We are also recording increasing numbers of people with severe disease, and deaths in the West. The Northern and Eastern Divisions currently have no active cases.
 
Advice to the public
 
For people with COVID-19 symptoms in Suva-Nausori:
 
If you or someone you are caring for has mild symptoms but is at high risk of severe COVID – in particular individuals over 50 years, have a chronic illness such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, asthma, are obese, or are pregnant – we need you to visit one of our screening clinics and get tested. If you test positive, then we will ensure you are provided immediate care by our health teams.
 
Community transmission within the Suva-Nausori containment zone is at a very high level. This means that anyone who develops symptoms of COVID-19 in Suva-Nausori should assume that they have COVID-19. Most people infected with COVID-19 will have mild symptoms like cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever, loss of taste or smell, body ache, or headache, and will fully recover at home with no medical intervention necessary. People who have any of these symptoms and are not within a group that is at higher risk for developing severe COVID-19 will no longer be tested for COVID-19, and should stay at home, strictly self-isolate for 14 days, and continue to monitor your symptoms for severe COVID-19.
 
If you develop any signs of severe COVID-19, like difficulty breathing or chest pain, please go immediately to one of our dedicated health facilities:
– Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH)
– FEMAT Hospital, Vodafone Arena
Individuals in Nausori with severe symptoms should go to:
– Nausori Health Centre
-Wainibokasi Hospital
 
Call 165 if you are unable to travel to a medical facility.
1.) For symptomatic workers who need official leave from work, they are recommended to attend the nearest screening clinic to be checked and to obtain a medical certificate for the 14 days of home isolation.
2.) Symptomatic workers can also obtain a medical certificate for the 14 days self-isolation at home from participating General Practitioners (GPs).
 
For people anywhere else in Fiji:
Please call 158 or go to your nearest screening clinic for testing if you have any symptoms of COVID-19. If you do leave your home to go to a screening clinic: please wear a mask that covers your mouth and nose, keep at least 2 metres between yourself and others outside your household, wash your hands with soap and water frequently or use hand sanitiser, and download and activate the careFIJI app if you have a smartphone, and avoid using public transport. Also call 158 if you have been in contact with someone confirmed as a case of COVID-19.