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Media Release 

COVID-19 Daily Update

Friday, 10th September 2021

Transmission Update

We have 143 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8am yesterday. 76 cases are from the Western Division, 59 cases are from the Central Division and 8 cases from the Eastern Division.

There have been 93 new recoveries to report since the last update, which means that there are now 13,407 active cases. 2,238 active cases are in the Central Division, 10,871 active cases in the Western Division, 5 active cases in the Northern Division (Macuata) and 293 active cases in the Eastern Division (all in Kadavu). We are currently reviewing and reconciling our active case database with recoveries and as a result we expect the recovery numbers to intermittently change markedly as verifications are made.

There have been 48,645 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 48,715 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 34,411 recoveries.

Deaths

There is one new COVID-19 death to report today. The one death reported today is from the Western Division.

The new COVID-19 death to report today is a 36 year old man from Lautoka. He presented to the Lautoka Hospital in severe respiratory distress. Sadly, he died one day after admission on the 24/08/2021. He received the 1st 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.

4 more deaths of COVID-19 positive patients were recorded however, these deaths have been classified as non-COVID deaths by their doctors. The doctors have determined that these deaths were caused by a serious pre-existing medical condition and not COVID-19.

There have now been 534 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 532 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. Please note that due to the time required by clinical teams to investigate, classify and report deaths, a 4-day interval is given to calculate the 7 day rolling average of deaths, based on date of death, in order to help ensure the data collected is complete before the average is reported. Therefore, as of September 5th the national 7 day rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 3. The 7 day rolling average for COVID-19 deaths per day in the Central Division is 1 and in the Western Division is 2.

We also have recorded 363 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 142 COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital. 60 patients are admitted at the Lautoka Hospital, 7 patients are admitted at the FEMAT field hospital, and 75 admitted at CWM hospital, St Giles, and Makoi. 13 patients are considered to be in severe condition, and 5 are in critical condition.

Screening Update

A total of 6,139 individuals were screened and 526 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 562,053 individuals screened and 93,106 swabbed to date. Our mobile screening teams screened a total of 1,527 individuals and swabbed 21. This brings our cumulative total to 826,503 individuals screened and 73,394 swabbed by our mobile teams.

Testing Update

A total of 344,769 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 387,630 tested since testing began in March 2020. 1430 tests have been reported for September 9th. The 7-day daily test average is 1,172 tests per day or 1.3 tests per 1,000 population. Weekly testing is at 10.3 tests per 1000 population, which remains above the WHO recommended level of 4 per 1000 population per week. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 16.2%, which is on a downward trend, but still indicating a high level of community transmission.

Vaccination Update

As of the 09th September 568,246 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 329,849 have received their second doses. This means that 96.9% of the target population have received at least one dose and 56.2% 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 172 cases per day or 195 cases per million population per day. As previously announced by the Permanent Secretary, daily case numbers in Suva-Nausori are currently not being used as the sole indicator to monitor progress of the outbreak. The Ministry is closely monitoring other indicators such as test positivity, hospitalisations and deaths to track the progress of the outbreak.

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

Public Updates:

The lockdown of the Namara Tiri Area in Vanua Levu has been lifted as of 4am today, Friday 10th September 2021, after day 1, 4 and 12 testings for the primary contacts, and the 181 secondary contacts were all negative for COVID-19. A total of 692 surveillance swabbing was conducted both inside and outside the containment area which also returned negative test results. The three remaining active cases are stable. Vaccination coverage in the Namara Tiri containment area was 98%, and residents have been reminded to get their 2nd dose of the COVID-19 vaccination when due 8 weeks after the first dose. We take this opportunity to thank the residents of the Namara Tiri area and the public of Labasa for cooperating with all the Northern frontline team, however you are reminded of the importance of maintaining COVID-19 safe measures even after the lifting of movement restrictions in the containment zone. These measures include wearing a mask each time you leave your home, washing your hands regularly with soap and water, practicing safe physical distancing of 2m, covering your cough and sneeze and ensuring careFIJI app is downloaded, with Bluetooth enabled. The curfew hours for Labasa moves back to 11pm – 4am, effective Friday 10th September 2021.

Kadavu recorded 8 new cases in the last 24 hours bringing the total number of cases to 463. All villages remain on movement restrictions enforced by the Police and the Vanua, while the village of Tawava and the seven villages of Yale Tikina are on strict lockdown. Seven patients are admitted at Vunisea, four of whom due to COVID-19 and are stable, and three Non-COVID patients. The outreach teams continue to visit the villages and communities undertaking follow up of primary contacts, monitoring of positive patients and clearance, roll out of COVID-19 vaccination, maternal and child health clinic and vaccination, and consultation with medicine replenishment. The specialist clinical team provided Obstetric, Medical and Paediatric clinics at Daviqele health centre. Community education and awareness sessions on COVID safe measures and observance of movement restrictions continue, and 14 infringement notices have been issued for ongoing breaches of these restrictions on the island.

No new cases were recorded for Malolo island in the last 24 hours and the 25 active cases remain stable. Daily surveillance and screening are ongoing for the villages, and movement restrictions remain in force for the island.

Naviti island did not record any new cases in the last 24 hours. The 109 active cases remain under daily assessment while surveillance continues for the contacts and villagers in the seven settlements and villages. Movement restrictions remain in force for the villages in the island.

Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Thursday, 09th September 2021 

Transmission Update

We have 179 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8am today. 87 cases are from the Western Division, 90 cases are from the Central Division, 1 case is from the Eastern Division and 1 case is from the Northern Division.

There have been 403 new recoveries to report since the last update, which means that there are now 13,362 active cases. 2,272 active cases are in the Central Division, 10,800 active cases in the Western Division, 5 active cases in the Northern Division (Macuata) and 285 active cases in the Eastern Division (all in Kadavu). We are currently reviewing and reconciling our active case database with recoveries and as a result we expect the recovery numbers to intermittently change markedly as verifications are made.

There have been 48,502 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 48,572 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 34,318 recoveries.

Deaths

There are five new COVID-19 deaths to report for the period of 16th July – 08th September 2021. One death was reported from the Western Division and fourth deaths were reported from the Central Division. Kindly note one death was reported for the month of July, this is being reported today due to the delay in the issuance of the official death certificate.

The first COVID-19 death to report is an 80 year old man from Sigatoka. He presented to the Sigatoka Hospital in severe respiratory distress. Sadly, he died on the same day (06/09/2021). He was not vaccinated.

The second COVID-19 death to report is a 70 year old man from Beqa Island who died at home on 08/09/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The third COVID-19 death to report is a 62 year old man from Navua. He was declared dead on arrival by the attending medical officer at the Navua Hospital on 04/09/2021. This means that he died on his way to the hospital or at home. He was not vaccinated.

The fourth COVID-19 death to report is a 79 year old man from Suva who died at home on 16/07/2021. He was not vaccinated. Kindly note this is being reported today due to a delay in the issuance of the original death certificate.

The fifth COVID-19 death to report is an 83 year old man from Navua who died at home on 07/09/2021. He was not vaccinated.

We report two further adjustments to previously reported deaths. The reported death of the case who drowned in Yaqeta is considered to have been a historical case, however out of an abundance of caution the Ministry of Health and Medical Services will be sending a team to conduct some community surveillance tests in Yaqeta. Additionally, the infant reported yesterday was actually 2.5 months old which makes him the youngest fatality in this epidemic and highlights the need for all persons ineligible for vaccination to be protected by ensuring that those around them are vaccinated and practice COVID safe measures.

There have been 6 more deaths of COVID-19 positive patients. However, these deaths have been classified as non-COVID deaths by their doctors. The doctors have determined that these deaths were caused by a serious pre-existing medical condition and not COVID-19.

There have now been 533 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 531 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. Please note that due to the time required by clinical teams to investigate, classify and report deaths, a 4-day interval is given to calculate the 7 day rolling average of deaths, based on date of death, in order to help ensure the data collected is complete before the average is reported. Therefore, as of September 4th, the national 7 day rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 4. The 7 day rolling average for COVID-19 deaths per day in the Central Division is 1 and in the Western Division is 3.

We also have recorded 359 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 154 COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital. 71 patients are admitted at the Lautoka Hospital, 13 patients are admitted at the FEMAT field hospital, and 70 admitted at CWM hospital, St Giles, and Makoi. 12 patients are considered to be in severe condition, and 5 are in critical condition.

Screening Update

A total of 6,309 individuals were screened and 582 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 555,914 individuals screened and 92,580 swabbed to date. Our mobile screening teams screened a total of 1,825 individuals and swabbed 70. This brings our cumulative total to 824,976 individuals screened and 73,373 swabbed by our mobile teams.

Testing Update

A total of 343,339 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 386,200 tested since testing began in March 2020. 1133 tests have been reported for September 8th. The 7-day daily test average is 1,152 tests per day or 1.3 tests per 1,000 population. Weekly testing is at 10.3 tests per 1000 population, which remains above the WHO recommended level of 4 per 1000 population per week. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 17.6%, which is on a downward trend but still indicating a high level of community transmission.

Vaccination Update 

We have a correction to make as regards our vaccination statement yesterday. As of the 07th September, 566,285 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 308,258 have received their second doses. This means that 96.5% of the target population have received at least one dose and 52.5% are now fully vaccinated nationwide. As of the 08th September, 567,751 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 320,520 have received their second doses. This means that 96.8% of the target population have received at least one dose and 54.6% are now fully vaccinated nationwide.

As previously mentioned we are currently doing a mop up exercise of our first dose campaign, which will allow us to specifically target communities with low coverage, and relook at certain subdivisions that are generating coverage rates beyond 100%. As such we will need to correct our data as we progress in this mop up program. Over the next few weeks, we will continue to correct and update the total eligible population for our current vaccination program as updated data is received from our vaccination campaign frontline team.

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

The Ministry of Health and Medical services are in an advanced stage of planning to begin the vaccination of children under 18 years. We will begin with children between 16 and 18 years. This will involve a stringent process to ensure that parental or guardian consent is secured and online registration is encouraged prior to vaccination. The required number of vials of vaccine has been put aside to ensure this target population between 16 and 18 can receive both doses of the vaccine. More stocks are expected to continue the vaccination of eligible children less than 18 years. Any decision on the opening of schools will be contingent on how well this vaccination phase rolls out.

Epidemic Outlook

The 7-day average of new cases per day is 188 cases per day or 213 cases per million population per day. As previously announced by the Permanent Secretary, daily case numbers in Suva-Nausori are currently not being used as the sole indicator to monitor the progress of the outbreak. The Ministry is closely monitoring other indicators such as test positivity, hospitalisations and deaths to track the progress of the outbreak.

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

Today is day 14 of the lockdown of the Namara Tiri settlement in Labasa and no new case has been identified in the last 24 hours. Movement restriction remains in force for the containment zone and for the whole of Labasa town.

There is one new case of COVID-19 in the Northern Division. This case travelled from the Western Division to the Northern Division as part of the ongoing repatriation program on 08/09/2021. As per protocol he was tested whilst in the Government designated quarantine facility in Labasa and tested positive. The case is stable and has been transferred to the Malau Isolation Facility. There is a possibility that this is a historical case and this is currently being investigated. There are currently five active cases in the Northern Division.

Five new cases were diagnosed in Malolo island bringing the total number of cases on the island to 50. Of these, 25 individuals have recovered and have been discharged from follow up, while 25 remain active and are all in the village of Solevu. The active cases are stable, and under ongoing daily assessment by the health team. Movement restriction remains in force for the island.

Three new cases were identified in the last 24 hours on Naviti Island. This brings the total number of cases to 110 of which 109 remain active. Contact tracing continues with daily assessment and screening of symptomatic individuals done in the villages.

Three patients on Waya island have been referred to Lautoka Hospital for further assessment. The Intermediate team visited the villages on the island and undertook the assessment for possible new cases. The district nurses on the island continue to provide awareness sessions on COVID-19 prevention in the villages and settlements.

Kadavu recorded three new cases in the last 24 hours bringing the total number of cases to 455. Of these, 311 have recovered and 142 remain active cases. COVID restrictions on movement, social gathering, and kava drinking are in force, and the Police and Health Inspectors are making unannounced visits to monitor COVID safe practice, provide education and awareness, and issue infringement notices where required.

Advice to the public

Severe COVID-19

People with severe COVID-19 are still dying at home, or are coming to a medical facility in the late stages of severe illness. As mentioned by the Permanent Secretary today: 78% of COVID-19 deaths during this outbreak occurred at home, or on the way to the hospital, or within 2 days of admission to the hospital – giving no or little opportunity for our clinical teams to provide potentially lifesaving treatment.

Severe COVID-19 is a medical emergency, and a delay in receiving appropriate medical treatment reduces your chance of recovering from the disease. You are at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 if you are over the age of 50 or have a non-communicable disease or chronic disease like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, kidney disease, or if you are obese or pregnant.

If you are at high risk of severe disease and have any symptoms of COVID-19 such as a cough, runny nose, fever, sore throat, body ache, headache, loss of taste/smell – please come to your nearest screening clinic to be checked and tested by our medical teams.

We need also need all Fijians to know the severe symptoms of COVID-19, which include the following:

• Difficulty breathing

• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest

• Severe headache for a few days

• New confusion, inability to wake or stay awake

• Pale, gray, or blue-coloured skin, lips or nail beds

In Suva-Nausori we have identified health facilities specifically designated to receive people with symptoms of severe COVID-19. If you or a loved one live in Suva-Nausori and have any of these severe symptoms please go immediately to the designated health facilities listed below.

– Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH)

– FEMAT Hospital, Vodafone Arena

Individuals in Nausori with severe symptoms should go to:

– Nausori Health Centre

– Wainibokasi Hospital

In the Western Division, please go to your nearest healthcare facility if you have any symptoms of COVID-19.

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

Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Wednesday, 08^th September 2021 

Transmission Update

We have 240 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8 am today. 49 cases are from the Western Division, 32 cases are from the Central Division and 159 cases are from the Eastern Division.

There are 159 new COVID-19 positive cases in Kadavu and 4 new cases in Malolo Island. All these individuals have been isolated.

There have been 747 new recoveries to report since the last update, which means that there are now 13,597 active cases. 2,516 active cases are in the Central Division, 10,793 active cases in the Western Division, 4 active cases in the Northern Division (Macuata), and 284 active cases in the Eastern Division (all in Kadavu). We are currently reviewing and reconciling our active case database with recoveries and as a result, we expect the recovery numbers to intermittently change markedly as verifications are made.

There have been 48,323 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 48,393 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 33,915 recoveries.

Deaths

There are three new COVID-19 deaths to report for the period of 30th August – 07th  September 2021. All three deaths were reported from the Central Division.

The first COVID-19 death to report today is a 4-month-old infant from Suva. He presented to a health center in mild respiratory distress (01/09/2021). He was medically assessed and stabilized by the attending medical officer and was then transferred to the CWM Hospital for specialist care (01/09/2021). As per protocol upon admission, he was tested for COVID-19 and was noted to be positive (01/09/2021). His mother reported that he had a cough and was noted to be irritable two days before their presentation on (30/08/2021) and developed a fever on the night before his presentation (31/08/2021). Sadly, he died five days after admission on 06/09/2021 He was not vaccinated as he was not in the current target population of people 18 years and over that are eligible to receive the vaccine.

The second COVID-19 death to report today is a 66-year-old man from Naitasiri who died at home on 07/09/2021. He received the first 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.

The third COVID-19 death to report today is a 76-year-old man from Naitasiri. He presented to the Vunidawa Hospital in severe respiratory distress. Sadly, he died on the same day (30/08/2021). He received the first 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.

There have been 8 more deaths of COVID-19 positive patients. However, these deaths have been classified as non-COVID deaths by their doctors. The doctors have determined that these deaths were caused by a serious pre-existing medical condition and not COVID-19.

There have now been 528 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 526 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. Please note that due to the time required by clinical teams to investigate, classify and report deaths, a 4-day interval is given to calculate the 7 day rolling average of deaths, based on the date of death, to help ensure the data collected is complete before the average is reported. Therefore, as of September 3rd, the national 7 day rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 4. The 7 day rolling average for COVID-19 deaths per day in the Central Division is 1 and in the Western Division is 3.

We also have recorded 353 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 169 COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital. 80 patients are admitted at the Lautoka Hospital, 12 patients are admitted at the FEMAT field hospital, and 77 are admitted at CWM hospital, St Giles, and Makoi. 20 patients are considered to be in severe condition, and 7 are in critical condition.

Screening Update

A total of 1,382 individuals were screened and 238 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 549,605 individuals screened and 91,998 swabbed to date. Our mobile screening teams screened a total of 897 individuals and swabbed 93. This brings our cumulative total to 823,151 individuals screened and 73,303 swabbed by our mobile teams.

Testing Update

A total of 342,206 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 385,067 tested since testing began in March 2020. 707 tests have been reported for September 7th. The 7-day daily test average is 1,256 tests per day or 1.4 tests per 1,000 population. Weekly testing is at 10.7 tests per 1000 population, which remains above the WHO recommended level of 4 per 1000 population per week. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 17.2%, which is on a downward trend but still indicating a high level of community transmission.

Vaccination Update 

As of the 07th September, 568,676 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 308,258 have received their second doses. This means that 96.9% of the target population have received at least one dose and 52.9% are now fully vaccinated nationwide. As previously mentioned we are currently doing a mop-up exercise of our first dose campaign, which will allow us to specifically target communities with low coverage, and relook at certain subdivisions that are generating coverage rates beyond 100%. Over the next few days, we will start to correct and update the total eligible population for our current vaccination program as updated data is received from our vaccination campaign frontline team.

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 198 cases per day or 224 cases per million population per day. As previously announced by the Permanent Secretary, daily case numbers in Suva-Nausori are currently not being used as the sole indicator to monitor the progress of the outbreak. The Ministry is closely monitoring other indicators such as test positivity, hospitalisations, and deaths to track the progress of the outbreak.

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

There have been no new COVID-19 cases identified in the Namara Tiri settlement in Labasa over the last 24 hours, and the 4 active cases remain under observation and daily assessment. Movement restriction remains in force for the containment zone and the whole of Labasa town. The greater challenge now for the Northern Division is to ensure it is ready for the repatriation of approximately 6000 persons who wish to return home. The Ministry of Health and Medical Services along with medical teams in the Northern Division is currently in the process of developing a safe repatriation pathway through outbreak readiness plans and quarantine facility preparedness. We would like to acknowledge that to ensure a safe repatriation pathway is achieved the community engagement in the Northern Division is pivotal. The medical teams from the Northern Division who were deployed to the Western and Central Divisions are now in the process of returning, we encourage them to get their well-deserved rest and encourage them to be ready to provide both medical support and assist in quarantine preparedness.

An intermediate team will visit Yalobi Nursing Station on Waya island to assist the health team in conducting screening and testing for the villages and settlements on the island over the next few days.

No new cases have been identified on Naviti island and daily surveillance continues for the positive cases and their contacts in the villages. Movement restriction is also in force for all villages on the island.

Advice to the public

Severe COVID-19

People with severe COVID-19 are still dying at home, or are coming to a medical facility in the late stages of severe illness. As mentioned by the Permanent Secretary today: 78% of COVID-19 deaths during this outbreak occurred at home, or on the way to the hospital, or within 2 days of hospital admission – giving no or little opportunity for our clinical teams to provide potentially life-saving treatment.

Severe COVID-19 is a medical emergency, and a delay in receiving appropriate medical treatment reduces your chance of recovering from the disease. You are at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 if you are over the age of 50 or have a non-communicable disease or chronic disease like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, kidney disease, or if you are obese or pregnant.

If you are at high risk of severe disease and have any symptoms of COVID-19 such as a cough, runny nose, fever, sore throat, body ache, headache, loss of taste/smell – please come to your nearest screening clinic to be checked and tested by our medical teams.

We need also need all Fijians to know the severe symptoms of COVID-19, which include the following:

• Difficulty breathing
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• Severe headache for a few days
• New confusion, inability to wake or stay awake
• Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds

In Suva-Nausori we have identified health facilities specifically designated to receive people with symptoms of severe COVID-19. If you or a loved one live in Suva-Nausori and have any of these severe symptoms please go immediately to the designated health facilities listed below.

– Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH)

– FEMAT Hospital, Vodafone Arena

Individuals in Nausori with severe symptoms should go to:

– Nausori Health Centre

– Wainibokasi Hospital

In the Western Division, please go to your nearest healthcare facility if you have any symptoms of COVID-19.

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

Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Tuesday, 07^th September 2021 

Transmission Update

We have 160 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8 am today. 88 cases are from the Western Division and 72 cases are from the Central Division.

There are 4 new COVID-19 positive cases in Naviti, Yasawa Islands. All these individuals have been isolated.

There have been 440 new recoveries to report since the last update, which means that there are now 14,115 active cases. 3,238 active cases are in the Central Division, 10,748 active cases in the Western Division, 4 active cases in the Northern Division (Macuata), and 125 active cases in the Eastern Division (all in Kadavu). We are currently reviewing and reconciling our active case database with recoveries and as a result, we expect the recovery numbers to intermittently change markedly as verifications are made.

There have been 48,083 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 48,153 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 33,168 recoveries.

Deaths

There are 5 COVID-19 deaths to report today. All five deaths were reported from the Central Division. The five deaths reported today are from the period of 21^st July- 06^th August 2021. Kindly note these deaths are being reported today as there was a delay in the issuance of the official death certificates.

The first COVID-19 death to report is an 85-year-old woman from Suva who died at home on 22/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The second COVID-19 death to report is a 58-year-old man from Nadera who died at home on 30/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.

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

The fourth COVID-19 death to report is a 73-year-old woman from Kinoya who died at home on 06/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The fifth COVID-19 death to report is a 70-year-old man from Nausori who died at home on 21/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.

There have been 7 deaths of COVID-19 positive patients. However, these deaths have been classified as non-COVID deaths by their doctors. The doctors have determined that these deaths were caused by a serious pre-existing medical condition and not COVID-19.

There have now been 525 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 523 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. Please note that due to the time required by clinical teams to investigate, classify and report deaths, a 4-day interval is given to calculate the 7 day rolling average of deaths, based on the date of death, to help ensure the data collected is complete before the average is reported. Therefore, as of September 2^2h, the national 7 day rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 4. The 7 day rolling average for COVID-19 deaths per day in the Central Division is 1 and in the Western Division is 3.

We also have recorded 345 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 180 COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital. 75 patients are admitted at the Lautoka Hospital, 12 patients are admitted at the FEMAT field hospital, and 93 admitted at CWM hospital, St Giles, and Makoi. 20 patients are considered to be in severe condition, and 7 are in critical condition.

Screening Update

A total of 5,839 individuals were screened and 581 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 548,223 individuals screened and 91,760 swabbed to date. Our mobile screening teams screened a total of 2,612 individuals and swabbed 319. This brings our cumulative total to 822,254 individuals screened and 73,210 swabbed by our mobile teams.

Testing Update

A total of 341,499 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 384,360 tested since testing began in March 2020. 1,282 tests have been reported for September 6th. The 7-day daily test average is 1,364 tests per day or 1.5 tests per 1,000 population. Weekly testing is at 10.7 tests per 1000 population, which remains above the WHO recommended level of 4 per 1000 population per week. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 15.2%, which is on a downward trend but still indicating a high level of community transmission.

Vaccination Update 

As of the 06th September, 568,244 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 306,907 have received their second doses. This means that 96.9% of the target population have received at least one dose and 52.6% are now fully vaccinated nationwide. As previously mentioned we are currently doing a mop-up exercise of our first dose campaign, which will allow us to specifically target communities with low coverage, and relook at certain subdivisions that are generating coverage rates beyond 100%. Over the next few days, we will start to correct and update the total eligible population for our current vaccination program as updated data is received from our vaccination campaign frontline team.

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 205 cases per day or 232 cases per million population per day. As previously announced by the Permanent Secretary, daily case numbers in Suva-Nausori are currently not being used as the sole indicator to monitor the progress of the outbreak. The Ministry is closely monitoring other indicators such as test positivity, hospitalizations, and deaths to track the progress of the outbreak.

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

No new cases have been reported from Malolo island, and the total number of cases confirmed to date remains at 45. Of these, 25 individuals have recovered and 20 remain active – all from the village of Solevu. Additional supplies of linen, equipment, and medicines are currently being organized to be shipped to the island in the next few days.

A total of 84 new cases have been diagnosed on Naviti island from screening and testing conducted in the villages of Somosomo, Kese, Muaira, Soso, Marou, and Gunu, and the settlement of Nasoqo. This brings the total number of cases on the island to 103. Two high-risk patients have been airlifted to Lautoka Hospital for further care, with one patient now admitted in a serious condition in the Intensive Care Unit. The new cases are now in isolation on the island and are followed up by the health team daily.

No new cases have been identified in the Namara Tiri settlement in Labasa in the last 24 hours, and the 4 active cases remain under observation and daily assessment. Movement restriction remains in force for the containment zone and the whole of Labasa town.

Advice to the public

Severe COVID-19

People with severe COVID-19 are still dying at home, or are coming to a medical facility in the late stages of severe illness. As mentioned by the Permanent Secretary today: 78% of COVID-19 deaths during this outbreak occurred at home, or on the way to the hospital, or within 2 days of hospital admission – giving no or little opportunity for our clinical teams to provide potentially life-saving treatment.

Severe COVID-19 is a medical emergency, and a delay in receiving appropriate medical treatment reduces your chance of recovering from the disease. You are at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 if you are over the age of 50 or have a non-communicable disease or chronic disease like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, kidney disease, or if you are obese or pregnant.

If you are at high risk of severe disease and have any symptoms of COVID-19 such as a cough, runny nose, fever, sore throat, body ache, headache, loss of taste/smell – please come to your nearest screening clinic to be checked and tested by our medical teams.

We need also need all Fijians to know the severe symptoms of COVID-19, which include the following:

• Difficulty breathing
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• Severe headache for a few days
• New confusion, inability to wake or stay awake
• Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds

In Suva-Nausori we have identified health facilities specifically designated to receive people with symptoms of severe COVID-19. If you or a loved one live in Suva-Nausori and have any of these severe symptoms please go immediately to the designated health facilities listed below.

– Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH)

– FEMAT Hospital, Vodafone Arena

Individuals in Nausori with severe symptoms should go to:

– Nausori Health Centre

– Wainibokasi Hospital

In the Western Division, please go to your nearest healthcare facility if you have any symptoms of COVID-19.

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

Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Monday, 06^th September 2021 

Transmission Update

We have 128 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8 am today. 78 cases are from the Western Division, 45 cases are from the Central Division and 5 cases are from the Eastern Division.

There are 5 new COVID-19 positive cases in Kadavu and 1 new COVID-19 positive case in Naviti, Yasawa Islands. All these individuals have been isolated.

There have been 1,687 new recoveries to report since the last update, which means that there are now 14,404 active cases. 3,399 active cases are in the Central Division, 10,689 active cases in the Western Division, 4 active cases in the Northern Division (Macuata), and 312 active cases in the Eastern Division (all in Kadavu). We are currently reviewing and reconciling our active case database with recoveries and as a result, we expect the recovery numbers to intermittently change markedly as verifications are made.

There have been 47,923 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 47,993 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 32,728 recoveries.

Deaths

There are 12 new COVID deaths to report for the period of 27th July- 05th September 2021. Four deaths were reported from the Western Division and eight deaths were reported from the Central Division. Kindly note three deaths are reported for July as the formal issuance of the death certificates was delayed.

The first COVID-19 death to report is a 90-year-old man from Navua who died at home on 05/09/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The second COVID-19 death to report is a 28-year-old woman from Lautoka. She presented to the Lautoka Hospital in severe respiratory distress. She died 8 days after admission (04/09/2021). She was not vaccinated.

The third COVID-19 death to report is a 90-year-old woman from Nadi who died at home on 03/09/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The fourth COVID-19 death to report is a 58-year-old man from Nausori who died at home on 02/09/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The fifth COVID-19 death to report 56-year-old man from Suva. He presented to the CWM Hospital in severe respiratory distress. Sadly, he died 3 days after admission (04/09/2021). He was not vaccinated. Kindly note that this death was previously under investigation, the medical team has now completed its investigations and has classified this death as a COVID-19 death.

The sixth COVID-19 death to report is a 62-year-old woman from Suva who died at home on 28/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The seventh COVID-19 death to report is a 69-year-old woman from Suva who died at home on 30/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The eighth COVID-19 death to report is a 57-year-old man from Suva who died at home on 27/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The ninth COVID-19 death to report is a 69-year-old man from Suva. He presented to the CWM Hospital in severe respiratory distress. Sadly, he died  12 days after admission. He was not vaccinated.

The tenth COVID-19 death to report is a 43-year-old man from Rakiraki. He presented to the Rakiraki hospital in severe respiratory distress. A medical team transferred him to the CWM Hospital. Sadly, he died  7 days after admission. He was not vaccinated.

The eleventh COVID-19 death to report is a 74-year-old man from Suva who died at home on 05/09/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The twelfth COVID-19 death to report is a 93-year-old man from Tavua who died at home on 31/08/2021. He was not vaccinated.

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

There have now been 520 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 518 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. Please note that due to the time required by clinical teams to investigate, classify and report deaths, a 4-day interval is given to calculate the 7 day rolling average of deaths, based on the date of death, to help ensure the data collected is complete before the average is reported. Therefore, as of September 1^st, the national 7 day rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 4. The 7 day rolling average for COVID-19 deaths per day in the Central Division is 1 and in the Western Division is 3.

We also have recorded 338 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 195 COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital. 82 patients are admitted at the Lautoka Hospital, 14 patients are admitted at the FEMAT field hospital, and 99 admitted at CWM hospital, St Giles, and Makoi. 24 patients are considered to be in severe condition, and 6 are in critical condition.

Screening Update

As of the 05th September 2021: A total of 1,859 individuals were screened and 214 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 543,707 individuals screened and 91,619 swabbed to date. Our mobile screening teams screened a total of 138 individuals and swabbed 20. This brings our cumulative total to 819,642  individuals screened and 72,891 swabbed by our mobile teams.

Testing Update

A total of 340,217 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 383,078 tested since testing began in March 2020. 774 tests have been reported for September 5th. The 7-day daily test average is 1377 tests per day or 1.6 tests per 1,000 population. Weekly testing is at 10.7 tests per 1000 population, which remains above the WHO recommended level of 4 per 1000 population per week. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 18.7%, which is on a downward trend but still indicating a high level of community transmission.

Vaccination Update 

As of the 03rd September, 566,210 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 299,943 have received their second doses. This means that 96.5% of the target population have received at least one dose and 51.1% are now fully vaccinated nationwide. As previously mentioned we are currently doing a mop-up exercise of our first dose campaign, which will allow us to specifically target communities with low coverage, and relook at certain subdivisions that are generating coverage rates beyond 100%. Over the next few days, we will start to correct and update the total eligible population for our current vaccination program as updated data is received from our vaccination campaign frontline team.

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 255 cases per day or 288 cases per million population per day. As previously announced by the Permanent Secretary, daily case numbers in Suva-Nausori are currently not being used as the sole indicator to monitor the progress of the outbreak. The Ministry is closely monitoring other indicators such as test positivity, hospitalisations, and deaths to track the progress of the outbreak.

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

Ongoing surveillance and testing in Kadavu have revealed 126 new cases through Gene Expert and RDT testing. 255 individuals have recovered and were discharged from follow-up. Of the 195 active cases, 132 individuals are assessed to be low risk, 25 with moderate risk, and 38 with high risk and closely monitored by the health teams. 5 patients with COVID-19 are admitted at Vunisea hospital and in stable condition. Screening and assessment have been completed in 65 villages and 18 settlements to date. Movement restrictions measures are in place for all villages on the island.

Surveillance continues on Malolo island with the health team setting up Emergency tents and refresher upskilling sessions done for the island health team. Assessment for Yaro village is ongoing with the team also preparing to visit and assess Tavua village and Yanua village in the next few days. Assessment and testing have not revealed any new cases, and movement restrictions remain in force for the villages.

Results for the 362 NP swab tests conducted for the 7 villages of Naviti island are awaited. Meanwhile, assessment and contact tracing continue for families and contacts of the positive cases. Two cases of COVID-19 pneumonia are currently under the observation and care of the Medical Officer at Kese Health Centre. Surveillance and contact tracing will continue while movement restriction remains in force for the island.

The death from the suspected drowning of a swab positive individual at Yaqeta village has alerted the Nacula Health Centre team on the possible presence of the disease within their medical area. While the Police team is investigating this unfortunate death, the health team is working in close collaboration with the Mata ni Tikina and villagers for the necessary assessment and contact tracing work for the village and the island. No other cases have been identified on the island to date.

Phase 1 and phase 2 screening and testing have not identified any new cases in the Namara Tiri settlement in Labasa in the last 24 hours. Of the total of 9 cases to date, 5 cases have recovered fully and have been discharged, and 4 active cases remain.  Phase 3 of screening and testing will commence in the community tomorrow while movement restriction remains in force for the containment zone and the whole of Labasa town.

Advice to the public

Severe COVID-19

People with severe COVID-19 are still dying at home, or are coming to a medical facility in the late stages of severe illness. As mentioned by the Permanent Secretary today: 78% of COVID-19 deaths during this outbreak occurred at home, or on the way to the hospital, or within 2 days of hospital admission – giving no or little opportunity for our clinical teams to provide potentially life-saving treatment.

Severe COVID-19 is a medical emergency, and a delay in receiving appropriate medical treatment reduces your chance of recovering from the disease. You are at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 if you are over the age of 50 or have a non-communicable disease or chronic disease like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, kidney disease, or if you are obese or pregnant.

If you are at high risk of severe disease and have any symptoms of COVID-19 such as a cough, runny nose, fever, sore throat, body ache, headache, loss of taste/smell – please come to your nearest screening clinic to be checked and tested by our medical teams.

We need also need all Fijians to know the severe symptoms of COVID-19, which include the following:

• Difficulty breathing
• Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
• Severe headache for a few days
• New confusion, inability to wake or stay awake
• Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds

In Suva-Nausori we have identified health facilities specifically designated to receive people with symptoms of severe COVID-19. If you or a loved one live in Suva-Nausori and have any of these severe symptoms please go immediately to the designated health facilities listed below.

– Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH)

– FEMAT Hospital, Vodafone Arena

Individuals in Nausori with severe symptoms should go to:

– Nausori Health Centre

– Wainibokasi Hospital

In the Western Division, please go to your nearest healthcare facility if you have any symptoms of COVID-19.

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

The Ministry of Health and Medical Services is remodeling our health service provision to adapt to a more COVID Safe environment. With the increase in the proportion of NON-COVID admissions, CWMH is working on getting its services normalized to cater to COVID and NON-COVID patients. This would include resuming the outpatients and non-emergency inpatient services in a more COVID-safe manner. The Heads of Departments, together with Clinical Governance and Infection Control Teams are working on protocols to be used for patients to access Specialist Services. This would include risk assessing patients and aligning our Infection Prevention and Control measures to protect staff and patients. The Special outpatient patient clinic (SOPD Clinic) had already started a digital platform to provide telehealth and virtual consultation. Using this platform patients are called, a telephone consultation is done and prescribed medications are provided. Blood test forms have also been sent via Viber for patients to get blood tested at their nearest Health Centre. Some services such as blood donation services, bloodletting services, and processing of SOPD prescriptions for refilling are being carried out in more open spaces. The objective is to open services throughout September with particular attention to our Ophthalmology and Dental Services. Many of the CWM doctors and nurses had been deployed to FEMAT and our transition is being coordinated with the return of the deployed staff.

The public in the North is being reminded that it is important that people throughout Vanua Levu listen to advice and continue to practice COVID-19 safety measures. While all the cases in the North are related to operations on the Nabouwalu jetty, and we have lifted restrictions in Nabouwalu,  the investigations are ongoing as regards the last 3 cases from the Namara Tiri Settlement near the township of Labasa. Furthermore, whilst border health measures at all ports have been strengthened, there will always be the risk of viral leakage into the community.  In this instance, vaccination with widespread covid safe measures remains the mainstay in preventing escalated community spread.

To our maritime islanders, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services reiterates its call not to engage in unauthorized travel to and from Viti Levu. All our current protocols to regulate domestic movements have been working in removing the risk of viral leakage into your communities. As such we appeal for adherence to the protocols we have in place. Furthermore, we repeat our call to all village leaders and elders to support our current efforts to protect our maritime islands by immediately reporting any suspicious movements into your community and having in place quarantine/isolation measures to deal with all travelers into their respective communities. We also appeal for community support for Vaccination; escalating vaccination efforts in the middle of an epidemic is a difficult exercise so we are appealing for timely cooperation.

For the rest of Fiji, the change of the curfew hours and the increase of funeral gatherings to 20 persons must not make us complacent with covid safe measures.  While we have more time for shopping and carrying out other essential activities, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services advises the public that other health protection measures remain. We are reviewing some of our restrictions however please restrict movement out of your homes. When leaving home, please continue to practice COVID-19 safe measures of wearing a mask, regularly washing your hands with soap and water or a hand sanitizer, practice safe physical distancing of two meters and cover your mouth when coughing and sneezing; these are still critical for protection against COVID-19.