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COVID-19 Update – 23-07-2021

Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Friday, 23rd July 2021

Transmission Update

We have 468 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8am today. 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 11 new COVID-19 deaths to report for the period of 19th July to 21st July.

The first COVID-19 death to report is a 82 year old woman from Samabula who died at home on 22/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The second COVID-19 death to report is a 56 year old woman from Vatuwaqa who died at home on 22/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The third COVID-19 death to report is a 64 year old man from Nasinu who died at home on 21/07/2021. He received the 1st 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 85 year old woman from Cunningham who died at home on 22/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The fifth COVID-19 death to report is a 51 year old man from Tacirua who died at home on 22/07/2021. He 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 63 year old man from Davuilevu who died at home on 22/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The eighth COVID-19 death to report is a 66 year old man from Nausori. He presented to a medical facility in severe respiratory distress. A medical team retrieved him from a health facility and brought him to the CWM Hospital. His condition worsened in the hospital and he died 2 days later (23/07/2021). He received his 1st dose of the vaccine in early-June. He did not receive the second dose of the vaccine. This means that he was not fully vaccinated.

The ninth COVID-19 death to report is a 40 year old man from Kalokolevu Village who died at home on 22/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The tenth COVID-19 death to report is a 84 year old man from Caubati who died at home on 22/07/2021. He received his 1st dose of the vaccine in mid-April. He did not receive the second dose of the vaccine. This means that he was not fully vaccinated.

The eleventh COVID-19 death to report is a 63 year old woman from Toorak who died at home on 23/07/2021. She received her 1st dose of the vaccine in early-July. She did not receive the second dose of the vaccine. This means that she was not fully 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 172 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 170 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. We also have recorded 75 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 792 new recoveries reported since the last update, which means that there are now 16,061 active cases. There have been 21,759 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 21, 829 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 5,521 recoveries.

There is 1 more death that remains under investigation. This will be discussed once investigations (including test results) and classifications are complete.

Screening Update

A total of 6,252 individuals were screened and 1,979 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 349,222 individuals screened and 63,950 swabbed to date. Our mobile screening teams screened a total of 4,015 individuals and swabbed 875 in the last 24 hours. This brings our cumulative total to 734,716 individuals screened and 64,812 swabbed by our mobile teams to date.

Testing update

A total of 243,743 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 286,604 tested since testing began in March 2020. 3747 tests have been reported for July 21st. The national 7-day daily test average is 3742 tests per day or 4.2 tests per 1,000 population. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 28.8 %.

Vaccination Update

As of the 22nd July 428,524 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 90,531 have received their second doses. This means that 73% of the target population have received at least one dose and 15.4% 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 934 cases per day or 1056 cases per million population per day.  With the high numbers of new daily cases we are also seeing increasing cases of severe disease and deaths.

Advice to the public

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

People who are symptomatic 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. 

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).

COVID-19 Update – 22-07-2021

Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Thursday, 22nd July 2021

Transmission Update

We have 918 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8am today. 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 15 new COVID-19 deaths to report for the period of 19th July to 21st July – these include deaths that were previously listed as under investigation.

The first COVID-19 death to report is a 75 year old woman from Suva who died at home on 21/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The second COVID-19 death to report is a 49 year old man for Nadera who died at home on 20/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The third COVID-19 death to report is an 83 year old man from Tovata who died at home on 20/07/2021.He was not vaccinated.

The fourth COVID-19 death to report is a 44 year old man from Cunningham. He presented to the CWM Hospital in severe respiratory distress. He died on the same day in hospital (22/07/2021). He was not vaccinated.

The fifth COVID-19 death to report is a 60 year old man from Narere who died at home on 21/07/2021.He received the 1st dose of the vaccine in early-July. He did not receive the 2nd dose of the vaccine. This means he was not fully vaccinated.

The sixth COVID-19 death to report is a 63 year old man from Nabua who died at home on 20/07/2021.He received the 1st dose of the vaccine in mid-June. He did not receive the 2nd dose of the vaccine. This means he was not fully vaccinated.

The seventh COVID-19 death to report is a 68 year old man from Nadera who died at home on 19/07/2021.He received the 1st dose of the vaccine in late June. He did not receive the 2nd dose of the vaccine. This means he was not fully vaccinated.

The eighth COVID-19 death to report is a 63 year old man from Waimanu Road who died at home on 20/07/2021.He was not vaccinated.

The ninth COVID-19 death to report is a 84 year old man from Kalekana who died at home on 20/07/2021.He was not vaccinated.

The tenth COVID-19 death to report is a 53 year old man from Toorak who died at home on the 20/07/2021.He was not vaccinated.

The eleventh COVID-19 death to report is a 63 year old woman from Vatuwaqa who died at home on the 20/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The twelfth COVID-19 death to report is a 56 year old man from Makoi who died at home on the 20/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The thirteenth COVID-19 death to report is a 72 year old woman from Narere. She presented to the FEMAT field hospital in severe respiratory distress. She died on the same day at the hospital (21/07/2021). She was not vaccinated.

The fourteenth COVID-19 death to report is a 102 year old woman from Cunningham who died at home on the 20/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The fifteenth COVID-19 death to report is an 80 year old man from Cautata Village who died at home on the 21/07/2021. 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 161 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 159 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. We also have recorded 68 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 179 new recoveries reported since the last update, which means that there are now 16,403 active cases. There have been 21,291 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 21, 361 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 4,729 recoveries.

There is 1 more death currently under investigation. This will be discussed once investigations (including test results) and classifications are complete.

Screening Update

A total of 6,281 individuals were screened and 1,962 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 342,970 individuals screened and 61,971 swabbed to date. Our mobile screening teams screened a total of 4,220 individuals and swabbed 866 in the last 24 hours. This brings our cumulative total to 730,701 individuals screened and 63,937 swabbed by our mobile teams to date.

Testing update

A total of 239,996 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 282,857 tested since testing began in March 2020. 3412 tests have been reported for July 20th. The national 7-day daily test average is 3772 tests per day or 4.3 tests per 1,000 population. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 29.7 %.

Vaccination Update

As of the 21st July 419,673 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 86,505 have received their second doses. This means that 71.5% of the target population have received at least one dose and 14.7% 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 1068 cases per day or 1207 cases per million population per day.  With the high numbers of new daily cases we are also seeing increasing cases of severe disease and deaths.

Advice to the public

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

People who are symptomatic 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.

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).

COVID-19 Update – 21-07-2021

Media Release

COVID-19 Daily Update

Wednesday, 21st July 2021

Transmission Update

We have 1,091 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8am today. 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 21 new COVID-19 deaths to report for the period of 14th July to 20th July.

The first COVID-19 death to report is a 32 year old pregnant woman from Lami. She presented to a medical facility on the 14/07/2021 in severe respiratory distress. She was retrieved by a medical team to the CWM hospital. She was assessed by specialists and her baby was delivered by emergency caesarean section.  Sadly, her condition worsened and she died 4 days after admission on 18/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The second COVID-19 death to report is a 33 year old pregnant woman from Lami.  She presented to the CWM hospital maternity day assessment unit on 13/07/2021 in severe respiratory distress. She was assessed by the clinical specialist team and her baby was delivered by emergency cesarean section. Unfortunately, her condition worsened and she died 6 days after admission on 19/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The third COVID-19 death to report is a 39 year old man from Tacirua who died at home on the 17/07/2021.He was not vaccinated.

The fourth COVID-19 death to report is a 85 year old woman from Veidogo Settlement who died at home on the 16/07/2021.She was not vaccinated.

The fifth COVID-19 death to report is a 65 year old woman from Waqani who died at home on the 18/07/2021.She had received her 1st dose of the vaccine in early-June. She did not receive the 2nd dose of the vaccine. This means that she was not fully vaccinated.

The sixth COVID-19 death to report is a 81 year old woman from Tamavua-I-Wai who died at home on the 16/07/2021.She was not vaccinated.

The seventh COVID-19 death to report is a 75 year old man from Lagilagi Housing who died at home on the 17/07/2021.He was not vaccinated.

The eighth COVID-19 death to report is a 70 year old man from Cautata Village who died at home on the 16/07/2021.He was not vaccinated.

The ninth COVID-19 death to report is a 85 year old man from Naitasiri who died at home on the 19/07/2021.He was not vaccinated.

The tenth COVID-19 death to report is a 69 year old woman from Waiqanake who died at home on the 18/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The eleventh COVID-19 death to report is a 48 year old man from Laucala Bay. He presented to the CWM Hospital Emergency Department in severe respiratory distress. He died on the same day (19/07/2021).His family reported that he had a cough, fever and shortness of breath 3 days prior. He was not vaccinated.

The twelfth COVID-19 death to report is a 73 year old man from Tamavua who died at home on the 18/07/2021. He presented to the CWM Hospital Emergency Department in severe respiratory distress. He died on the same day (17/07/2021). His family reported that he had a cough, fever and shortness of breath 2 days prior. He was not vaccinated.

The thirteenth COVID-19 death to report is a 70 year old man from Cunningham. He presented to the FEMAT field hospital in severe respiratory distress. His condition worsened i and he died on the same day (18/07/2021). He was not vaccinated.

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

The fifteenth COVID-19 death to report is a 60 year old woman from Tamavua. She presented to the CWM Hospital Emergency Department in severe respiratory distress. Her condition worsened at the hospital and she died on the same day (20/07/2021). She received her 1st dose of the vaccine in late-June. She did not receive the 2nd dose of the vaccine. This means that she was not fully vaccinated.

The sixteenth COVID-19 death to report is a 65 year old woman from Lagilagi Housing. She presented to the CWM Hospital Emergency Department in severe respiratory distress. Her condition worsened at the hospital and she died on the same day (19/07/2021). She was not vaccinated.

The seventeenth COVID-19 death to report is a 36 year old woman from Tamavua who died at home on the 19/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The eighteenth COVID-19 death to report is a 66 year old woman from Bayview Heights who died at home on the 19/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The nineteenth COVID-19 death to report is a 80 year old woman from Vatuwaqa. 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 (15/07/2021). She received her 1st dose of the vaccine in late June. She did not receive the 2nd dose of the vaccine. This means that she was not fully vaccinated.

The twentieth COVID-19 death to report is a 66 year old man from Caubati who died at home on the 19/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The twenty-first COVID-19 death to report is a 67 year old man from Nasinu. He presented to a medical facility in severe respiratory distress. His condition worsened in the health facility and he died on the same day 20/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.

There have been 10 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 146 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 144 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. We also have recorded 61 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 317 new recoveries reported since the last update, which means that there are now 15,686 active cases. There have been 20,373 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 20,443 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 4,550 recoveries.

There are 6 more deaths currently under investigation. These will be discussed once investigations (including test results) and classifications are complete.

Screening Update

A total of 6,049 individuals were screened and 1,770 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 336,689 individuals screened and 60,009 swabbed to date. Our mobile screening teams screened a total of 3,659 individuals and swabbed 511 in the last 24 hours. This brings our cumulative total to 726,481 individuals screened and 63,071 swabbed by our mobile teams to date.

Testing update

A total of 236,584 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 279,445 tested since testing began in March 2020. 3612 tests have been reported for July 19th. The national 7-day daily test average is 3837 tests per day or 4.3 tests per 1,000 population. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 27.5%.

Vaccination Update

As of the 20th July 410,495 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 83,732 have received their second doses. This means that 70% of the target population have received at least one dose and 14.3% 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 1111 cases per day or 1256 cases per million population per day.  With the high numbers of new daily cases we are also seeing increasing cases of severe disease and deaths.

Advice to the public

COVID-19 infections are widespread across the Suva-Nausori containment zone. This means that if you develop any of the symptoms of COVID-19 you should assume you have COVID-19 and isolate yourself at home. Do not wait for a positive test result to self isolate. Isolating yourself will help to stop the spread of COVID-19 to others.

The symptoms of COVID-19 include any of the following:

Cough, runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing, fatigue/extreme tiredness, loss of taste or smell, headache, aches and pains, sore throat, fever, diarrhoea, red eyes, skin rash.

If you have any of these symptoms please: 

1) Immediately ISOLATE from others including other members of your household. Stay at home. And, as much as possible, maintain a physical distance of 2m between yourself and other members of your household, and wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth.

2.) Remain in home isolation for 14 days, drink plenty of fluids, and take paracetamol for pain and fever.

3.) Keep watch for severe COVID-19 symptoms

Severe COVID-19 is a medical emergency, and a delay in receiving appropriate medical treatment reduces your chance of recovering from the disease. You do not need to have a positive test result to watch out for these symptoms. We 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 the Suva-Nausori Containment zone we have identified health facilities specifically designated to receive people with symptoms of severe COVID-19. If you or a loved one live in the Suva-Nausori Containment Zone 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

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

Administering of Moderna Vaccines for Priority Groups

21 July 2021

Public Advisory

The Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are rolled-out for the following priority groups:

• Pregnant women who are living in Viti Levu; and
• Individuals above 60 years of age who are residing in Suva-Nausori corridor

Pregnant women living in Suva-Nausori corridor, must go to the nearest vaccination centre to get vaccinated. Please provide antenatal care clinic card or a letter from your private practitioner and a valid photo identification to get vaccinated.

Pregnant women living outside Suva-Nausori corridor, must go to the nearest sub-divisional hospital’s antenatal care clinic to get vaccinated. Refer to the following for nearest clinic:

Clinic by Area Time
Korovou Hospital Antenatal Clinic 9am-4pm
Nausori Maternity Antenatal Clinic 9am-4pm
Navua Health Centre Antenatal Clinic 9am-4pm
Sigatoka Hospital Antenatal Clinic 9am-4pm
Nadi- Sunshine Special School Nadi College Road 9am-4pm
Lautoka Girmit Centre Thursday and Friday only, 9am-4pm
Ba Mission Hospital Antenatal Clinic 9am-4pm
Tavua Hospital Antenatal Clinic 9am-4pm
Rakiraki Hospital Antenatal Clinic 9am-4pm
Ra Maternity Hospital 9am-4pm
Vunidawa Hospital Antenatal Clinic 9am-4pm

All individuals above 60 years of age who are residing in Suva-Nausori corridor can go to their nearest vaccination centres including drive-through to get vaccinated.

For those individuals above 60 years of age, who are unable to go to the vaccination site due to their health condition or an existing circumstance can call the following numbers between 8am-8pm daily to register to be vaccinated at home:

Vodafone numbers: 8618482 or 8618970 or 8619599 or 2847743
Digicel numbers: 7474273 or 7474272 or 7474270 or 7348666

Individuals can also send a text message at any time to the above mentioned numbers with details including – name, age/date of birth and residential address.
Please carry a valid photo identification when going for vaccination.
All other vaccine eligible individuals are recommended to continue to take AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines.

All COVID-19 vaccines used in Fiji are safe and approved for use by the World Health Organization. Two doses of COVID-19 vaccines provide protection against severe illness, hospitalization and death by the disease.

COVID-19 Situation Update

Statement by the Permanent Secretary for Health & Medical Services 

COVID-19 Situation Update

Thursday 21st July 2021

Bula Vinaka.

We’ve seen week-over-week increases in our 7-day rolling average of cases, with another 1,091 new cases confirmed in the past 24-hour period. While the current outbreak is contained to Viti Levu, and primarily in the Lami-Nausori corridor, over the last week we have also seen increasing cases in the Western Division.

COVID-19 DEATHS

We have 21 new COVID deaths from the period of 14th July until 20th July. Two of the deaths confirmed today were pregnant women. Both women had been unwell with COVID symptoms at home before presenting to our health facilities in severe respiratory distress. In both cases, our physicians made the decision to conduct emergency cesarean operations to rescue the newborns and assist with the care of the mothers. Sadly, despite the best efforts of their attending physicians, both mothers passed away. However, the fast actions of the obstetric team saved both babies. Maternal deaths at any time are a tragedy, and maternal deaths due to COVID-19 are a clear indication of the severity of this outbreak.

Given the rapidly evolving situation, our teams have been working around the clock to reprioritize and focus our efforts to ensure we are protecting those most at risk of severe COVID-19 and dying – our elderly, people with existing medical conditions, and pregnant women. These shifts include changes to our testing services, home quarantine guidance, ensuring we are providing life-saving medical care to those people who are most at risk and establishing vaccination for pregnant women.

But we need your cooperation because saving lives from COVID-19 depends on your adherence to the rules and your understanding as much as ever.

TESTING

I know some people have experienced delays in being swabbed and receiving their test results. At the national level our testing is averaging 4.3 tests per 1000 population per day, and in Suva-Nausori 6 per 1000 population per day. At a population level, we are testing at similar rates to developed countries like Australia, and the state of New South Wales, which also has an outbreak, and we are doing so through just six laboratories. We are working on increasing our testing capacity, including establishing a new Fiji CDC lab for Nadi in August. And we are developing a new web-based system for delivering test results to patients.

But as cases have increased in the last two weeks, so has the demand for testing, and for non-urgent samples, this affects the turnaround time. That has necessitated some important changes for the Ministry, and it requires new action from you, the members of the public. We need to target our testing to where the result makes a difference to the outcomes of patients – that means we need to target testing for those most at risk of developing severe COVID-19.

For communities in the Lami-Nausori area

For community members who are at lower risk of severe COVID, if you have been in close contact with someone with COVID –– for example, you live or work with someone who has COVID-19 – you should assume you also have the virus. This means you should immediately quarantine at home for the next 14 days. If you develop any COVID-19 symptoms during this 14-day period, such as a cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever, loss of taste or smell, body ache, headache – you should most certainly assume you have COVID-19 and self-isolate.

LOWER RISK PATIENTS – HOME ISOLATION 

Most people infected with COVID-19 will have only mild symptoms and fully recover at home. For lower-risk individuals with COVID, 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 to one of our dedicated health facilities.

HIGHER RISK PATIENTS 

For community members in the Lami-Nausori area who are at high risk of severe COVID-19, we will be prioritizing the testing and rapid turnaround of their results.

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.

Over the past few weeks, the overwhelming majority of COVID-19 deaths have been in our most vulnerable community members. When our health teams first saw these patients, most of them were either in a critical condition or had already passed away. 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 supplemental oxygen, as well as clinical teams to 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, please let us help you to have the best chance of recovery.

There is a video circulating online from within one of our field hospital locations. That facility was erected for the purposes of bolstering our treatment capacity, and its conditions are exactly the same as field hospitals we have relied upon in past emergency situations, such as cyclones and other disasters. We are now in the midst of a wave of COVID-19 infections and, like most countries around the world, we have had to rapidly expand our health facilities by using these tents to care for COVID-19 patients and to ensure that all those who need beds and access to ventilators can have it. Even in developed countries, similar measures have been taken. As an independent civil servant, I find it very disheartening that some people, including media organizations, have sought to undermine this obvious and essential step to treat COVID-positive patients. Many people’s lives have been saved in those temporary facilities and we will continue to rely on their use until more Fijians are vaccinated and, as a direct result, the risks of severe disease and death due to COVID in Fiji are much lower.

We have 317 new recoveries to report today, with over 4,550 recoveries from the virus in total. Recovery is possible. In fact, most patients will recover. The sooner those most at-risk are identified and treated, the more likely they will be to recover as well. Many of those recoveries will continue to come out of our field hospitals.

VACCINATION

The data from today tells the same sobering story we’ve seen since early May: We have an outbreak of severe disease and death among unvaccinated Fijians. Of the 144 lives we have lost to COVID in this outbreak, none were fully vaccinated. 22 were partially vaccinated, having received only one dose, and the rest had no vaccination.

There is no stronger evidence pointing to why we must vaccinate all adults –- in particular those who are at greatest risk -– as quickly as humanly possible. It is the best available protection against the worst effects of the virus.

So again, I ask that anyone who is yet to be vaccinated, please do so immediately. To our younger ones, get vaccinated yourselves and please help by bringing your parents, grandparents, and older community members to the nearest vaccination center or drive-through and give them the best possible protection against this virus.

On a positive note, as of today, 410,495 individuals have received at least one dose and 83,732 are fully vaccinated. For those who are fully vaccinated, please remember that while you are offered very strong protection against severe disease and death, you can still get COVID-19 and pass it on to others so please adhere closely to our other COVID-safe measures.

For pregnant women and other high-risk individuals, we are also providing them access to the Moderna vaccine. A person only needs to wait 28 days between their first and second dose of Moderna vaccine so this means we can protect those who are at high risk, faster.

To allow workplaces to reopen without crushing the capacity of our healthcare system, employees must be vaccinated. Social welfare recipients must be vaccinated as well. Even if the government has not mandated it for you, it is a mandate you should make for yourself. It only takes one look at our rising numbers of fatalities to see there simply is no morally or medically acceptable alternative. Get vaccinated. Do it as soon as you can. And go further: Tell your friends and loved ones why you have been vaccinated and why they should do the same.

Not everyone will be vaccinated just because I recommend it, I know that. Some people place their highest trust in those around them, those in their communities, those at the dinner table with them, those they’ve grown up with and know their entire lives. By telling someone you love why you have been vaccinated and why they should too, you could be the voice that inspires them to be protected. You may well be better placed than any doctor to save their life and ease the strain of this outbreak of our healthcare system. So speak up. Sadly, many social media companies, like Facebook, provide the platform for lies and misinformation about vaccines to spread far faster than facts. So it is up to us to get the truth about vaccines –– and the proven protection they provide –– into the public domain and in front of those who need to hear that message most of all.

LOCKDOWNS AND OTHER HEALTH PROTECTION MEASURES

In the meantime, we are continuing to target lockdowns in extremely high-risk areas. We are continuing to enforce the wearing of masks and the maintenance of physical distance. We are urging Fijians to stay home unless they have an essential reason to leave. And we are racing to vaccinate as many Fijians as we can. Do your part as well. Follow the rules, and be vaccinated when you have the chance. We have a target of fully vaccinating at least 80% of all eligible adults in Fiji by the end of October. We can get there. We will get there. And Fiji will be much safer for it.

Thank you.