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MHMS FIJI

Archives 2021

COVID-19 Update – 28-05-2021

Media Release

COVID-19 Update

Friday May 28th 2021

Transmission update

As announced by the Permanent Secretary, there are 46 new cases to report today.

Forty three of these cases are linked to existing clusters that were under investigation and detected through contact tracing and targeted screening. The 43 cases are as follows:

28 from Nadali in Nausori

3 are from Navosai and are linked to the Narere funeral cluster

2 from Muanikoso

9 from the navy cluster (8 from Kinoya and 1 from Nadonumai in Lami)

1 from the Samabula (funeral cluster)

3 new cases are currently not linked to other cases and are under investigation.

Two patients have recovered, which means there are now 195 active cases. All active cases are in the Suva-Nausori containment zone. 2 of these active cases are in the intensive care unit at the CWM Hospital.

Fiji has had 360 cases in total since our first case was reported in March 2020, with 161 recoveries and 4 deaths.

Testing update

Over 58,000 COVID-19 laboratory tests have been conducted during this current outbreak, with 101,588 conducted in total since testing started in early 2020. This does not yet include the 11,000 samples recently tested in Australia.

A total of 2673 samples were tested yesterday. The daily average of testing over the last 7 days is 2515 tests per day. At the national level, an average of 2.8 tests per 1000 population were conducted daily over the last 7 days. The 7 day average daily test positivity is 0.9%.

The most recent data shows that 3.2 tests per 1000 population are being conducted in the Central Division, which is above our target of 3 tests per 1000 population. This is a level of testing that is comparable to Australia and New Zealand during their outbreaks. However, the 7 day average daily test positivity in Central is increasing, and is currently at 1.1%. While the average daily test positivity has remained below the 2-5% threshold, the upward tread reflects the increasing number of cases reported daily in the Central Division.

As mentioned earlier, the majority of new cases reported are linked to existing clusters that have been found through the extensive contact tracing efforts of the Central Division team. These clusters are large because they are associated with a number of funerals, which are mass gathering events, and/or cases had a large number of work contacts, or they came from large households.

-ENDS-

Statement by Permanent Secretary for Health
COVID-19 Situation Update
Friday 28th May, 2021

We have 46 new cases to report, and they are all from the Central Division.
Forty-three of these cases are linked to existing clusters that were under investigation and detected through contact tracing and targeted screening. The 43 cases are as follows:

28 from Nadali in Nausori
3 are from Navosai and are linked to the Narere funeral cluster
2 from Muanikoso
9 from the navy cluster (8 from Kinoya and 1 from Nadonumai in Lami)
1 from the Samabula funeral cluster
3 new cases are currently not linked to other cases and are under investigation.
The Nadali community is now on day 29 of lockdown while Muanikoso is on day 6.

Two patients have recovered, which means there are now 195 active cases. All active cases are in the Suva-Nausori area containment zone. 2 of these active cases are in the intensive care unit.

Fiji has had 360 cases in total since our first case was reported in March 2020, with 161 recoveries and 4 deaths.

There has been a very significant increase in daily cases reported from the Suva-Nausori area. It is important to note that the majority of these cases have been found as a result of our extensive contact tracing effort and are linked to known clusters. This increase was not unexpected, but it should serve to show how easily this virus is transmitted and why restrictions are in place. We expect the number of cases to rise because we are testing aggressively in areas where we know the virus is spreading. We have a number of prominent locations under investigation including Government buildings and Kadavu house.

The virus is spreading within containment zones, so we will be exercising extra vigilance to ensure that there is no spread outside those containment zones. We will strengthen enforcement of COVID-safe restrictions such as restrictions on movement and gatherings, mask-wearing, physical distancing and the other measures designed to prevent people from coming into contact with the virus.
Activities surrounding funerals appear to be the most troublesome spreader events, and this is an alarming situation. Everyone should recall that this latest outbreak gained momentum when one person who contracted the virus in the border quarantine area attended a funeral, yet funeral gatherings continue to be sources of spread.

The death of a loved one is a difficult time for everyone, but people must adjust to the current situation and avoid funeral gatherings. The deceased must be buried, and we must pay our respects and accompany them during their last hours on earth, but we must temporarily find new ways to do this. Families are urged to limit graveside services to 10 persons and to limit gatherings before or after the burial to 10 persons or less. Our investigations indicate that in some instances, funeral gatherings of 100 were split up into 5 so-called “bubbles” of 20 persons. Many of you will understand that this does not make sense. We need good sense in the common sense space. We need to stop twisting and turning our Covid safe directives to suit our purposes. We need to treasure the memory of those we have lost and when more normal times return we can plan memorial events in which our loved ones are commemorated in a suitable way.

Vaccination Update

Since Monday, we have administered 19,348 vaccinations in the Suva-Nausori corridor and 24,042 in all of Fiji. To date, 18.5% of the targeted population have received at least one dose and 3117 individuals have had 2 doses. An additional 50,000 doses are due to arrive in the country by the end of the week. Once these doses are deployed, at least 260,000 persons will have got their first dose.
Restrictions Update–Western and Northern Divisions

The data for the Western Division is good but we need to be cautious. While we have been conducting an appropriate number of tests and have uncovered no new cases we will need to maintain our escalated community surveillance. The restrictions in the Western division are being reviewed and announcements will be made soon. We are doing the same with the Northern Division, where there is no evidence of transmission.

We will need to maintain restrictions on movement from Viti Levu to Vanua Levu in order to ensure that Vanua Levu remains transmission-free. We will be exploring and announcing soon protocols of movement that will allow persons who have not been home for long to return home. This virus has kept families apart and has caused undue social suffering. Our response has been firm and has proven successful in the Western division and in specific locations in the central division.

I want to urge all Fijians to stay the course and follow the practices that are necessary to contain this outbreak and get us back to normal. We understand that these lockdowns impose hardships on all of us, but they are unavoidable precisely because they are the only way to stop this infection from spreading. Avoid social gatherings. Maintain a social distance of at least two meters when you are outside your home and ensure your mask is properly worn. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for about 20 seconds each time. And download the careFIJI app.
COVID-19 Update – 27-05-2021

Media Release

COVID-19 Update

Thursday May 27th 2021
Evening Update

There are 6 new positive cases to report since the afternoon update and as of 6pm today. 4 cases are primary contacts within the Muanikoso cluster, and 2 are from the Vunivivi cluster.

4 patients have recovered, which means there are now 151 active cases in isolation, with all active cases within Suva-Nausori. There have been 244 cases during this current outbreak, and Fiji has had 314 cases in total, with 159 recoveries and 4 deaths, since our first case was reported on March 19th 2020.

Over 58,000 COVID-19 laboratory tests have been conducted during this current outbreak, with 98,915 tests conducted in total since testing started in early 2020. This does not yet include the 11,000 samples recently tested in Australia.

A total of 2804 samples were tested yesterday. The daily average of testing over the last 7 days is 2567 tests per day. The 7 day average daily test positivity is at 0.7%, and  1% in the last day. An average of 2.9 tests per 1000 population were conducted daily over the last 7 days, with 3.2 tests per 1000 population in the last day.

-ENDS-

COVID-19 Situation Update
Thursday 27th May 2021

Afternoon Update

Transmission Update

We have recorded 22 new cases since the last update yesterday evening. Details of the new cases:
● 1 is a resident of Kinoya with no links to other cases at this early stage of investigation
● 2 were at the George Mate Medical Centre at Queen Elizabeth Barracks and are connected to the QEB cluster
● 7 naval officers and staff who are contacts of the first naval officer to test positive and are part of the navy cluster

● 12 are residents of Vunivivi in Nausori. They were found as part of screening of that area in connection with the navy cluster. Investigations have revealed that the navy, Waila, and Vunivivi clusters are connected through a common exposure event – a funeral.

We have recorded a total of 308 cases since March of last year with 155 recoveries and 4 deaths. There have been 238 cases during this current outbreak, and there are now 149 active cases.

Response Update

The Lautoka Hospital has ended their 21-day sequestration with almost all patients discharged today. Remaining staff will also be going home to their families by day end. The hospital is also discharging its last 2 COVID-19 patients later today, as they have recovered. With the recovery of these 2 patients there will be 0 active cases in the West, and it has also been 15 days since the last case was reported from that division.

We have received more detailed data regarding the effectiveness of our containment measures in the Northern and Western Divisions. We are reviewing our restrictions in the West and North and will be making more definitive announcements in the next few days.

It is clear that the concentration of this outbreak is now in the Suva-Nausori area. Most of the new cases in recent days were discovered through contact tracing investigations for known cases, which is an indicator that our contact tracing efforts are effective. Significant escalations in daily case numbers have been largely driven by the fact that recent cases have been linked to large households or workplace groups, funeral gatherings and the associated grog sessions in big groups. We are getting test results quickly, so we can take proper action soon after identifying someone who may have been in close contact with an infected person.

We urge people to keep that in mind and do what they can to help: Make sure the careFIJI app is active on your smartphone and that Bluetooth is turned on. Remember your movements and the people with whom you have come into contact. Maintain proper mask wearing when outside your home, limit social activities to within the household, and don’t share bilos and cigarettes. And report for screening immediately if you have any of the common COVID-19 symptoms–even very mild symptoms.

Vaccination Campaign Update

Since the restart of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign within the Suva and Nausori Containment Zones on Monday 24th May, 16,148 doses of the vaccine have been administered. A total of 13,398 first doses were administered to the people living between Suva-Nausori, while 2,750 second doses were given to the frontliners across Fiji. As of 26 May 2021, 111,801 people in Fiji have received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, this is 17 percent of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services’ target population of 650,000 individuals. A daily list of vaccination sites will be released each evening.
The Ministry of Health acknowledges the support of the different government ministries, agencies including RFMF, Fiji Police, civil society groups and ordinary Fijians who have come forward in in the successful roll-out of the vaccination program.
COVID-19 Update – 26-05-2021
Media Release
COVID-19 Update
Wednesday, 26 May 2021
Evening Update

There are 14 new positive cases to report since the afternoon update and as of 6 pm today. 13 of the new cases are contacts of previously announced cases:

• 9 of the new cases are from the navy cluster.
• 3 are contacts of the Waila cluster.
• 1 case is a household contact of case 244 in the Muanikoso cluster
• 1 case was a day patient at CWM Hospital, she was not admitted at the hospital but was tested as part of a pre-admission screening program that is being conducted at the hospital. Investigations are ongoing into the possible source of her infection.

8 patients have recovered, which means there are now 127 active cases in isolation. Fiji has had 286 cases in total, with 155 recoveries and 4 deaths, since our first case was reported on March 19th, 2020.

Due to a shortage of suitable accommodation sites that may serve as quarantine facilities in the Central Division, we are now moving close contacts of cases that are negative on their entry and 4th-day tests to the established quarantine facilities in Nadi to complete the remainder of their 14-day quarantine. The prerequisite of the 2 negative tests is in place to mitigate the risk of transmission between those in quarantine during their travel to Nadi.

96,111 COVID-19 laboratory tests have been conducted since testing started in early 2020. This does not yet include the 11,000 samples recently tested in Australia.

A total of 3290 samples were tested yesterday. The daily average of testing over the last 7 days is 2541 tests per day. The 7-day average daily test positivity is at 0.5%, and 0.8% on the last day. An average of 2.9 tests per 1000 population was conducted daily over the last 7 days, with 3.7 tests per 1000 population on the last day.