Press Release

Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Wednesday, 28^th July 2021

Transmission Update

We have 1057 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8am today. 144 cases are from the Western Division and 913 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 387 new recoveries reported since the last update, which means that there are now 19,168 active cases. 16,272 active cases are in the Central Division and 2,896 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 26,126 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 26,196 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 6,706 recoveries.

Deaths

We have 12 new COVID-19 deaths to report for the period of 24^th July to 27^th July.

The first COVID-19 death to report is a 44 year old woman from Drasa. She was declared dead on arrival by the attending medical officer at the Lautoka Hospital emergency department (24/07/2021). This means that she died at home or on her way to the hospital. She was not vaccinated.

The second COVID-19 death to report is a 73 year old woman from Lovu. She was declared dead on arrival by the attending medical officer at the Lautoka Hospital emergency department (26/07/2021). This means that she died at home or on her way to the hospital. She was not vaccinated.

The third COVID-19 death to report is a 52 year old woman from Lami who died at home on 27/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The fourth COVID-19 death to report is a 61 year old man from Raiwai who died at home on 27/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The fifth COVID-19 death to report is a 69 year old man from Naitasiri who died at home on 26/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The sixth COVID-19 death is a 75 year old man from Togalevu. He presented to a medical facility in severe respiratory distress.  A medical team retrieved him from the medical facility to the CWM Hospital. His condition worsened at the hospital and he died 4 days after admission (27/07/2021). He received the 1^st dose of the vaccine in early July. He did not receive the second dose of the vaccine. This means that he was not fully vaccinated.

The seventh COVID-19 death is an 83 year old man from Nadawa. He presented to the CWM Hospital in severe respiratory distress.  His condition worsened at the hospital and he died 6 days after admission (25/07/2021). He received the 1^st 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 eighth COVID-19 death is a 74 year old woman from Narere. She presented to the CWM Hospital in severe respiratory distress.  Her condition worsened at the hospital and she died 8 days after admission (26/07/2021). She was not vaccinated.

The ninth COVID-19 death is an 87 year old man from Tacirua Village. He presented to the CWM Hospital in severe respiratory distress.  His condition worsened at the hospital and he died 8 days after admission (28/07/2021). He was not vaccinated.

The tenth COVID-19 death is a 61 year old woman from Samabula. She presented to the CWM Hospital in severe respiratory distress.  Her condition worsened at the hospital and she died 8 days after admission (27/07/2021). She was not vaccinated.

The eleventh COVID-19 death is a 51 year old man from Samabula. He presented to the CWM Hospital in severe respiratory distress.  His condition worsened at the hospital and he died 7 days after admission (27/07/2021). He received the 1^st dose of the vaccine in early July. He did not receive the second dose of the vaccine. This means that he was not fully vaccinated.

The twelfth COVID-19 death is a 70 year old woman from Tamavua. A medical team retrieved her from the home and brought her to CWM Hospital. She was noted to be in severe respiratory distress. Her condition worsened at the CWM hospital and she died 3 days after admission (27/07/2021). Her family reported that she had a cough and shortness of breath 2 days prior. She received the 1^st dose of the vaccine in late May. She did not receive the second dose of the vaccine. This means that she was not fully vaccinated.

There have been 2 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 a serious pre-existing medical condition and not COVID-19.

There have now been 218 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 216 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 104 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.

Screening Update

A total of 6,188 individuals were screened and 1,120 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 371,924 individuals screened and 68,706 swabbed to date. As of the 26^th July our mobile screening teams screened a total of 5,847 individuals and swabbed 550. This brings our cumulative total to 753,259 individuals screened and 66,904 swabbed by our mobile teams.

Testing update

A total of 259,971 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 302,832 tested since testing began in March 2020. 3195 tests have been reported for Monday July 26th. The national 7-day daily test average is 3341 tests per day or 3.8 tests per 1,000 population. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 25.4 %.

Vaccination Update

As of the 27^nd July 457,752 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 111,541 have received their second doses. This means that 78% of the target population have received at least one dose and 19% 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 822 cases per day or 929 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 Western Division. The Northern and Eastern Divisions currently have no active cases.

Advice to the public

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

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. 

However, 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.

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).

Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Tuesday, 27th July 2021

Transmission Update

We have 715 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8am today. 97 cases are from the Western Division and 618 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 128 new recoveries reported since the last update, which means that there are now 18,512 active cases. 16,518 active cases are in the Central Division and 1994 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 25,069 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 25,139 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 6,319 recoveries.

Deaths

We have 11 new COVID-19 deaths to report for the period of 22^nd July to 27^th July.

The first COVID-19 death to report is a 46 year old healthcare worker from the CWM Hospital. She presented to the CWM Emergency Department in severe respiratory distress. She reported having  a fever and cough for five days. Her condition worsened in hospital and she died 2 days after admission on 26/07/21. She was not vaccinated.

The second COVID-19 death to report is a 65 year old man from Makoi who died at home on 26/07/2021. He received the 1^st dose of the vaccine in mid-July. He did not receive the second dose of the vaccine. This means he was not fully vaccinated.

The third COVID-19 death to report is a 74 year old woman from Lami who died at home on 26/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The fourth COVID-19 death to report is a 71 year old woman from Davuilevu Housing who died at home on 26/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The fifth COVID-19 death to report is a 66 year old woman from Caubati who died at home on 26/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The sixth COVID-19 death to report is a 79 year old woman from Lami who died at home on 22/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The seventh COVID-19 death to report is a 75 year old man from Samabula. He presented to the CWM Hospital emergency department in severe respiratory distress. His condition worsened in the hospital and he died on the same day 25/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The eighth COVID-19 death to report is a 62 year old woman from Suva. She presented to the CWM Hospital emergency department in severe respiratory distress. Her condition worsened in the hospital and she died 2 days after admission 26/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The ninth COVID-19 death to report is a 67 year old man from Korovisilou. He presented to the CWM Hospital emergency department in severe respiratory distress. His condition worsened in the hospital and he died 4 days after admission 26/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The tenth COVID-19 death to report is a 63 year old woman from Nausori. She presented to a medical facility in severe respiratory distress. A medical team retrieved her from the health facility and brought her to the FEMAT field hospital. Her condition worsened at the FEMAT field hospital and she died 6 days after admission (27/07/2021). She was not vaccinated.

The eleventh COVID-19 death to report is a 69 year old man from Nadera. He presented to the FEMAT field hospital in severe respiratory distress. A medical team retrieved him from the FEMAT field hospital and brought him to the CWM hospital. His condition worsened in the hospital and he died two days after admission (26/07/2021). He received the 1^st dose of the vaccine in mid-June. He did not receive the second dose of the vaccine. This means that he was not fully vaccinated.

There has been 1 more death of COVID-19 positive patient. However, her death has been classified as non-COVID death by her doctors. Doctors have determined that her death was caused by a serious pre-existing medical condition and not COVID-19.

There have now been 206 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 204 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 102 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.

Screening Update

A total of 6,811 individuals were screened and 1,147 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 365,736 individuals screened and 67,586 swabbed to date. As of the 25^th July our mobile screening teams screened a total of 5,542 individuals and swabbed 586. This brings our cumulative total to 747,412 individuals screened and 66,354 swabbed by our mobile teams.

Testing update

A total of 256,776 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 299,637 tested since testing began in March 2020. 2831 tests have been reported for Sunday July 25th. Testing numbers for July 25th are below the average as the laboratory at Fiji CDC was closed for essential maintenance work on the morning of Sunday July 25th. 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 26.3 %.

Vaccination Update

As of the 26^nd July 449,934 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 103,742 have received their second doses. This means that 76.7% of the target population have received at least one dose and 17.7% 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 827 cases per day or 934 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 Western Division. The Northern and Eastern Divisions currently have no active cases.

Advice to the public

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

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. 

However, 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.

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).

Media Release

 

COVID-19 Daily Update

 

Monday 26^th July 2021

 

Transmission Update

 

We have 1285 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8am today. 202 cases are from the Western Division and 1083 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 263 new recoveries reported since the last update, which means that there are now 17,937 active cases. 16,239 active cases are in the Central Division and 1698 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 24,354 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 24,424 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 6,191 recoveries.

 

Deaths

 

We have 9 new COVID-19 deaths to report for the period of 23^rd July to 26^th July. 

 

The first COVID-19 death to report is an 82 year old woman from Tamavua who died at home on 23/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.

 

The second COVID-19 death to report is a 57 year old man from Nadawa who died at home on 24/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.

 

The third COVID-19 death to report is a 34 year old man from Nadera. He presented to the CWM Hospital in severe respiratory distress. His condition worsened in the hospital and he died two days after admission 26/07/2021. He received his first dose of the vaccine in late June. He did not receive the second dose of the vaccine. This means that he was not fully vaccinated.

 

The fourth COVID-19 death to report is a 52 year old man from Raiwasa. He presented to the CWM Hospital in severe respiratory distress. His condition worsened at the hospital and he died 15 days after admission (25/07/2021). He was not vaccinated.

 

The fifth COVID-19 death to report is a 45 year old woman from Samabula. She presented to the CWM Hospital in severe respiratory distress. Her condition worsened at the hospital and she died 7 days after admission (23/07/2021). She was not vaccinated.

 

The sixth COVID-19 death to report is a 73 year old woman from Naitasiri. She presented to a health facility in severe respiratory distress. Her condition worsened at the health facility and she died on the same day 23/07/2021. Her family reported that she had a cough, generalized weakness and shortness of breath for one week prior. She was not vaccinated.

 

The seventh COVID-19 death to report is a 72 year old man from Naitasiri who died at home on 25/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.

 

The eighth COVID-19 death to report is an 89 year old woman from Narere. She presented to the CWM Hospital emergency department in severe respiratory distress. Her condition worsened in the hospital and she died on the same day (26/07/2021). She was not vaccinated.

 

The ninth COVID-19 death to report is a 74 year old man from Tacirua who died at home on 25/07/2021. 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 these deaths were caused by serious pre-existing medical conditions and not COVID-19.

 

There have now been 195 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 193 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 101 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.

 

Screening Update

 

A total of 890 individuals were screened and 411 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 358,925 individuals screened and 66,439 swabbed to date. As of the 24^th July our mobile screening teams screened a total of 2,575 individuals and swabbed 302. This brings our cumulative total to 741,611 individuals screened and 65,752 swabbed by our mobile teams.

 

Testing update

 

A total of 253,945 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 296,806 tested since testing began in March 2020. 3095  tests have been reported for July 24th. The national 7-day daily test average is 3530 tests per day or 4.0 tests per 1,000 population. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 22.8 %.  

 

Vaccination Update

 

As of the 25^nd July 441,171 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 97,268 have received their second doses. This means that 75.2% of the target population have received at least one dose and 16.6% 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 875 cases per day or 989 cases per million population per day.  The daily case number increased today after a drop below the average in recent days, with most cases still being reported from the Central Division.  Increasing numbers of daily cases are also being reported from the West. As explained in earlier statements, day to day changes in case numbers are expected, and a few days of decreased case numbers should not be misinterpreted as an overall decline in cases in the community. This is the reason we rely more on a 7 day average of cases to monitor the progress of the outbreak. With testing remaining high, test positivity remaining high, and increasing cases being reported in the West, we expect average daily case numbers to remain at a high level and possibly increase.  The daily average of deaths is also being monitored and continues to increase.

 

Advice to the public

 

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

 

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. 

 

However, 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. 

 

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 home isolation.

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

Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Sunday, 25th July 2021

Transmission Update

We have 626 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8am today. 79 cases are from the West and the rest 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 the new cases on the dashboard tomorrow at the following link: http://bit.ly/3vE2ZBb.

We also have 9 new COVID-19 deaths to report for the period of 21^st July to 25^th July.

The first COVID-19 death to report is a 44 year old pregnant woman from Suva. She presented to a medical facility on the 16/07/2021 with shortness of breath and chest pain. She was retrieved by a medical team to the CWM hospital. She was assessed by specialists and her baby was safely delivered by emergency caesarean section on 18/07/2021.  Sadly, her condition worsened and she died 5 days after admission on 21/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The second COVID-19 death to report is a 72 year old man from Muanikoso who died at home on 23/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The third COVID-19 death to report is a 50 year old man from Suva who died at home on 25/07/2021. He received his first dose of the vaccine in late May. He did not receive the second dose of the vaccine. This means that he was not fully vaccinated.

The fourth COVID-19 death to report is a 61 year old woman from Tacirua. She presented to a health facility in severe respiratory distress. A medical team retrieved her from the medical facility to CWM Hospital. Her condition worsened at the health facility and she died 11 days after admission on 24/07/2021. Her family reported that she had a cough, fever, shortness of breath and a reduced appetite one week prior. She was not vaccinated.

The fifth COVID-19 death to report is a 62 year old man from Suva who died at home on 24/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The sixth COVID-19 death to report is a 60 year old woman from Vatuwaqa who died at home on 24/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The seventh COVID-19 death to report is a 75 year old man from Nausori. He presented to a medical facility in severe respiratory distress. His condition worsened at the medical facility and he died on the same day 24/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The eight COVID-19 death to report is a 74 year old man from Nasova who died at home on 24/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The ninth COVID-19 death to report is a 53 year old man from Naitasiri who died at home on the 23/07/2021. 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 these deaths were caused by serious pre-existing medical conditions and not COVID-19.

There have now been 186 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 184 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. We also have recorded 94 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.

There have been 242 new recoveries reported since the last update, which means that there are now 16,931 active cases. There have been 23,069 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. The Central Division reported a total of 21,207 cases, the Western Division reported a total of 1,845 cases, the Eastern Division reported a total of 12 cases and the Northern Division reported a total of 5 cases (all repatriated persons from Viti Levu) in supervised quarantine facilities) in this current outbreak. We have recorded a total of 23,139 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 5,928 recoveries.

Screening Update

A total of 3,087 individuals were screened and 422 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 358,035 individuals screened and 66,028 swabbed to date. Our mobile screening teams screened a total of 2,575 individuals and swabbed 302 in the last 24 hours. This brings our cumulative total to 741,611 individuals screened and 65,752 swabbed by our mobile teams to date.

Testing update

A total of 250,850 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 293,711 tested since testing began in March 2020. 3004  tests have been reported for July 23rd July. The national 7-day daily test average is 3641 tests per day or 4.1 tests per 1,000 population. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 23.8 %.

 

Vaccination Update

As of the 24^nd July 440,361 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 96,357 have received their second doses. This means that 75.1% of the target population have received at least one dose and 16.4% 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 804 cases per day or 908 cases per million population per day.  The recent drop in new cases yesterday and today should be viewed with caution – daily case numbers have increased and decreased in the past and will continue to  vary. This is influenced by a number of factors including where samples that were tested on a particular day came from – for example the Western Division samples are currently being prioritized as they are still in the containment phase, and quick turnaround of results will help with identifying cases and contacts early and contain transmission. It is more helpful to monitor our 7 day average of cases over a period of time to assess our trend of cases.

Advice to the public

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

People who are symptomatic 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 and strictly self-isolate for 14 days. Most people infected with COVID-19 will have only mild symptoms like cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever, loss of taste or smell, body ache, headache, and can fully recover at home. For lower-risk individuals with COVID symptoms, we ask you to please stay at home for 14 days, isolate yourself from other family members, 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. 

However, if you or someone you are caring for 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 get in touch right away and visit one of our screening clinics. If you test positive, then we will ensure you are provided immediate care by our health teams.

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 home isolation.

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

Statement by the Permanent Secretary for Health & Medical Services 

COVID-19 Situation Update

Sunday 25th July 2021

Bula Vinaka Fiji

Fiji’s 7-day rolling average of cases per million per day remains among the highest in the world. This means we have among the highest daily cases reported for our population size. What we are experiencing right now in Fiji we witnessed in other countries, including high income countries, since the start of this pandemic last year. We are not alone, countries that had similar successes to Fiji in the past when it came to containing and keeping out the original virus, are now suffering large outbreaks because of the delta variant.

In our daily statements we talk about the daily toll in terms of cases and lives lost. The toll in terms of mental and social suffering is high. Frontline health workers are integral to the global response to COVID-19. In hospitals, clinics and homes around the world, health workers are taking on significant personal risk. This is the same in Fiji.  This current crisis is demonstrating the essential, tireless, innovative and too-often undervalued role of health workers and our frontline colleagues in ensuring strong, resilient health systems for everyone, everywhere. They work long hours, sacrifice time with their families, and endure the stresses that this pandemic places upon them as individuals, professionals, and upon the entire health system. Delivering health services in an environment of constraint resources will often mean providing access to life saving care at the expense of comfort.  Maintaining sensitivity and empathy during the provision of service has never been more important.

It therefore is deeply saddening that I announce today the passing of a fellow health worker who many of us knew and loved. She was 44 years old and was going through a pregnancy when she turned positive for COVID-19. Unfortunately, she also had other pregnancy related complications. Delivery by Caesarean section was done to facilitate the baby’s survival and our colleague’s critical care. Unfortunately, our colleague passed away on Wednesday, the 21^st of July from complications of COVID-19, despite the best efforts of the attending physicians. Her baby has recovered well and is in stable condition.

In the past weeks a fellow doctor also succumbed to COVID 19 and we may, unfortunately, see more of our fellow health workers and front liners get severe disease in the near future. Our sympathies are extended to all those who have lost loved ones and those who are living through anxiety and fear for loved ones during this difficult time. Please be assured that these suffering, have only served to strengthen our resolve to save lives. They also serve to strengthen the resolve of fellow civil servants from other Govt. ministries and agencies who are working with us in the frontline to facilitate the rapid deployment of vaccines and to promote a more COVID safe society through our Community Engagement program.

This virus has and will continue to affect our health care workers from community transmission and through the course of duty. We know that community transmission in Suva-Nausori is at such a high level, that it is more likely that a healthcare worker will pick up the virus in the community than in hospital when they are wearing full personal protective equipment. Over the 3 months of this outbreak, we have transitioned from having our health care teams working in work bubbles during the Containment phase, to our current Mitigation phase strategy of escalating the infection prevention and control measures and personal protection measures to ensure that all potential and known exposures to COVID 19 cases is as low risk as humanly possible.

We have reorganized our PPE distribution program to ensure that the large stocks we have are always readily available to all health care workers at the frontline, especially those who work in Critical Care Units and Emergency Departments. By ensuring that our Health Care workers are vaccinated, well trained in PPE use and are diligent in helping each other to maintain PPE discipline in the workplace, we will be able to maintain health worker numbers in all our health facilities. To date nobody who has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 has died in Fiji, we know that this is the very best protection we can provide for our colleagues. The potential strength of PPE practice was clearly demonstrated in Lautoka Hospital when during the closure of the hospital, none of the staff manning the COVID wards were positive.

Two days ago we  did a press conference in the Vodafone Arena, which is the site of the FEMAT field hospital, to highlight some of the changes we have made to build up more extra capacity to save lives. We have increased clinical care spaces, and access to therapeutic interventions. We are scaling up our 165 and 158 COVID help line to be able to respond to requests for help. We have escalated our ability to monitor all positive cases through phone calls and home visits with a focus on an escalated monitoring protocol for high risk cases. We acknowledge other Govt ministries and agencies that assisted in creating the monitoring database and helping us with the monitoring process.  We have reorganized and reinvented our Case Retrieval Capability by working with donor agencies, CSOs and our military and naval partners.  We have refocused our swabbing screening effort to identify positive cases in the vulnerable groups in our community and in those with severe symptoms. Because we know that people within those vulnerable groups are more at risk of developing severe disease and needing lifesaving medical care.

At the FEMAT Hospital, we have seen 70% of patients with significant COVID disease go home after receiving care, 20% are referred on to CWM; unfortunately, 10% had arrived too late. In CWM more than 60% of cases with severe disease have recovered with most of the deaths occurring in persons with associated severe comorbidities. The Maternity Unit of CWM has seen close to 400 cases of COVID 19 admissions since June with 12 of the cases reaching the severe stages of disease. All but 3 have recovered. The underlying theme in all these recoveries from significant COVID-19 disease is that we were given the opportunity to deal with them early either by admitting the highly vulnerable positive case and monitoring them or supporting a home monitoring program that allowed timely retrieval.

Unfortunately, despite these efforts, we continue to see that the overwhelming majority of COVID-19 deaths have been in our most vulnerable community members who have arrived too late or succumbed at home. When our health teams first saw these patients, most of them were either in a critical condition or had already passed away. We believe that if our health teams were able to see these patients earlier, we may have been able to save them.

We know many families are valiantly trying to care for their loved ones at home, but for those who are most at risk of severe COVID-19, home care won’t be enough. These individuals need their oxygen levels closely monitored, likely need access to oxygen therapy, and have clinical teams on stand-by who can rapidly respond if their condition deteriorates.

So please, if you or someone you are caring for has COVID-19 symptoms and are at high risk of severe COVID-19, we need you to engage early with our 165 help line while your loved ones are still stable.

We all have seen how the cases are building up in the Western Division. We are glad that our first dose vaccination coverage in the west is 83% and the second dose coverage is escalating at a good rate. We have also distributed the doses to be used in the Yasawa and Mamanuca Maritime area. We know that if we can delay for as long as possible the expected surge in cases in the Western Division, we will be able to prevent a lot of severe disease and deaths that we are seeing in the Lami to Nausori Containment Zone. Therefore,  as of Monday the 26^th of July, the following measures are to be implemented and strengthened:

1. All unnecessary movements should stop. Please stay home as much as possible. Movement outside your home must only be for approved employment purposes, medical purposes or to get groceries. To facilitate this the curfew hours throughout the Western division will begin from 6pm and end at 4am.
2. All movements from the Central Division to the Western Division will be assessed on a case by case basis and higher priority for approval will be given to those who have completed 14 days after the 2nd dose of the vaccine.
3. All movements from the Viti Levu to the Northern Division and maritime islands will be assessed on a case by case basis and higher priority for approval will be given to those who have completed 14 days after the 2nd dose of the vaccine.

 

I will end by congratulating the efforts of the Vaccination teams. Today Ba Subdivision have achieved a first dose vaccination of 110% as they escalate to cover cane cutters and other individuals that have returned to Ba. Rewa Subdivision have achieved 104% first dose coverage. Nadroga Subdivision has 91% first dose coverage. Coverage in the Savusavu Town area is 91% first dose vaccination of their eligible population  and almost 30% for their second dose. The Macuata province leads the North with 74% first dose coverage while Cakaudrove and Bua sitting at close to 60%. I have closely followed the vaccination efforts on the many  viber groups and I am sure that many of us in the frontline take to heart the good efforts of the community in escalating our efforts to protect all who live in Fiji and help many of us go back to the comfort of our family. Together we can and together we will get back to a Safer Fiji. Have faith Fiji.