Category Public Advisory

Media Release                                                                   

COVID-19 Update

Thursday April 22nd 2021

As announced by the Permanent Secretary today, we have 6 new border quarantine cases and 2 new locally transmitted cases of COVID-19.

The 2 new locally transmitted cases are the 14 year old daughter and 7 month old son of case 78, who is the 40-year-old female from Wainitarawau in Cunningham Suva; a close contact of the hotel quarantine worker (case 74). The children’s first test results, from samples collected on Tuesday April 20^th, the day they were transferred to the isolation unit at Navua Hospital, were negative. These positive results are from repeat samples collected yesterday Wednesday April 21^st. The test results indicate that the children are likely in the early stages of infection, and they were unlikely to be infectious when out in the community. However, as a precaution, contact tracing is being conducted for these 2 new cases.

For the 6 border quarantine cases: 5 are travelling family members of 2 border quarantine cases announced on April 17^th. This family had travelled to Fiji from Manila, Philippines, arriving in Nadi on flight NZ952 from Auckland on April 8^th. They tested positive during routine testing while completing 14 days of quarantine in a government supervised border quarantine facility. The 6^th border quarantine case is a 38 year old male, who travelled from Malaysia to Fiji, also arriving in Nadi on NZ952 from Auckland on April 8^th.

With these latest cases there are now 19 active cases admitted into hospital isolation units. Five are older border quarantine cases announced before Sunday April 18th. Nine are recently announced border quarantine cases, and five are locally transmitted cases linked back to the RFMF soldier who was infected in a border quarantine facility.

There are also over 300 primary and secondary contacts of recent cases quarantined in border quarantine facilities in Nadi.

Fiji has had 86 cases in total, with 65 recoveries and 2 deaths, since our first case was reported on March 19^th 2020. 63 of these cases have been international travel associated cases detected in border quarantine. And 5 recently announced cases are our first cases of local transmission in over 1 year.

A total of 44,481 COVID-19 laboratory tests have been conducted, with a daily average of 394 tests per day over the last 7 days, and a weekly average of 1892 tests per week over the last 2 weeks. Daily testing has increased in line with the response to the recent local cases, with 994 tests conducted yesterday.

There are currently 1063 people who have recently arrived from overseas undergoing mandatory 14 day quarantine in government supervised border quarantine facilities in Nadi.

-ENDS-

OUTBOUND PASSENGERS ON REPATRIATION FLIGHTS FOR THURSDAY 22 APRIL ONLY

 The flights below for Thursday 22 April will depart as per time in the schedule below. Further international passenger air travel in and out of Fiji will remain suspended till further notice.

Scheduled flights for Thursday 22 April 2021:

For passengers on these flights, please note arrival times at the lockdown checkpoints in Nadi and Lautoka.

 INFORMATION FOR OUTBOUND PASSENGERS ON REPATRIATION FLIGHTS

Arrangements have been made for all outbound passengers traveling on repatriation flights for transfers from the main checkpoints on either side (Nadi and Lautoka) of the border to Nadi International Airport. All outbound passengers must have COVID 19 swab results (e-copy is accepted) with them.

Outbound passengers are advised to obtain a pass from the nearest Police Station, if they need to travel during curfew hours, by providing their travel Itinerary and swabbing receipt from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services.

All passengers are advised to present themselves at the lockdown checkpoint 4 hours prior to the flight departure. The Republic of Fiji Military Forces will make arrangements for the transfer of outbound passengers from the lockdown checkpoint to the Nadi International Airport.

MEDIA ADVISORY

Information for inbound and outbound passenger transfers during lockdown of Nadi and Lautoka Area

The Ministry of Health and Medical Services advises the travelling public of travelling arrangements for all inbound and outbound passengers arriving and departing on repatriation flights.

This follows the announcement of the lockdown of the greater Nadi and Lautoka area due to the high risk of the transmission of the COVID 19 virus.

These arrangements are being made for the safety of all members of the travelling public and all residents of Fiji.

OUTBOUND PASSENGERS ON REPATRIATION FLIGHTS

Arrangements have been made for all outbound passengers travelling on repatriation flights for transfers from the main checkpoints on either side (Nadi and Lautoka) of the border to Nadi International Airport. All outbound passengers must have COVID 19 swab results (e-copy is accepted) with them.

Outbound passengers are advised to obtain a pass from the nearest Police Station, if they need to travel during curfew hours, by providing their travel Itinerary and swabbing receipt from the Ministry of Health and Medical Services.

All passengers will be advised to present themselves at the lockdown checkpoint 4 hours prior to the flight departure. The Republic of Fiji Military Forces will make arrangements for the transfer of outbound passengers from the lockdown checkpoint to the Nadi International Airport.

 Media Release                                                                   

COVID-19 Update

Wednesday April 21st 2021

As announced by the Permanent Secretary for Health and Medical Services today, we have 1 new case of COVID-19. This is a 40 year old female from Wainitarawau Settlement Cunningham in Suva who attended the funeral in Tavakubu Lautoka on Friday April 16th, and had contact with the 53 year old hotel quarantine worker case announced earlier. Along with 6 other members of her family she has been admitted to the isolation ward at Navua Hospital. These 6 family members have so far tested negative.

With this latest case there are now 11 active cases admitted into hospital isolation units, five are older border quarantine cases announced previously. The remaining six are the cases reported since Sunday April 18^th, which includes 3 border quarantine cases and 3 locally transmitted cases.

There are also over 300 primary and secondary contacts of recent cases quarantined in border quarantine facilities in Nadi.

Fiji has had 78 cases in total, with 65 recoveries and 2 deaths, since our first case was reported on March 19^th 2020. 57 of these cases have been international travel associated cases detected in border quarantine. And 3 recently announced cases – the quarantine hotel worker, her daughter, and now this 40 year old contact in Suva, are our first cases of local transmission in over 1 year.

A total of 43,487 COVID-19 laboratory tests have been conducted, with a daily average of 252 tests per day over the last 7 days, and a weekly average of 1892 tests per week over the last 2 weeks.

There are currently 1043 people who have recently arrived from overseas undergoing mandatory 14 day quarantine in government supervised border quarantine facilities in Nadi.

-ENDS-

Media Release                                                                   

COVID-19 Update

Tuesday April 20th 2021

Since the last routine COVID-19 update on Saturday April 17^th the Ministry of Health and Medical Services had reported 2 new cases of COVID-19. These 2 are a 33 year old Republic of Fiji Military Forces soldier working in a quarantine hotel, and a 53 year old hotel worker working in the same quarantine hotel. Both cases were announced by the Honorable Prime Minister on Sunday 18^th April and Monday 19^th April.

Today we are announcing 3 more cases. The first, as announced by the Permanent Secretary today, is the 26 year old daughter of the hotel quarantine worker case announced yesterday. The other 2 are border quarantine cases – a 25 year old and 32 year old who are RFMF soldiers who recently returned from duties overseas, and tested positive during routine testing while undergoing 14 days of quarantine in a government supervised border quarantine facility. They have all been transferred to the isolation ward at Lautoka hospital according to the standard protocol for positive cases.

With these latest cases there are now 10 active cases admitted at the Lautoka hospital isolation unit, five are older border quarantine cases announced previously, and the remaining five are the cases reported since Sunday and mentioned in this update.

Fiji has had 77 cases in total, with 65 recoveries and 2 deaths, since our first case was reported on March 19^th 2020. 55 of these case have been international travel associated cases detected in border quarantine. And 2 recently announced cases – the quarantine hotel worker and her daughter are our first cases of local transmission in over 1 year.

A total of 43,241 COVID-19 laboratory tests have been conducted, with a daily average of 277 tests per day over the last 7 days, and a weekly average of 1892 tests per week over the last 2 weeks.

There are currently 800 people who have recently arrived from overseas undergoing mandatory 14 day quarantine in government supervised border quarantine facilities.

For more information please visit http://www.health.gov.fj/covid-19-updates/