The Fiji government has warned that unvaccinated people in the vaccine-eligible population are 17 times more likely to die if they contract covid-19 than those that are vaccinated.

Health Secretary Dr James Fong said this strongly indicated that many of the unvaccinated deaths were preventable.

He is urging Fijians to get vaccinated against covid-19, including the booster shot, amid a third wave which began last November.

“I strongly urge anyone who hasn’t been vaccinated to get vaccinated now because covid-19 is here to stay, and omicron will not be the last variant,” Dr Fong said.

“And if you are vaccinated, but know someone who isn’t, please also encourage them to protect themselves by getting vaccinated.”

The vaccine rollout for children aged 12 to 17 is also underway, with 43,241 of them already having had both doses.

Meanwhile, Fijians who are unvaccinated against covid-19 are still being refused entry to a number of public spaces.

Health Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete said this included houses of worship, sporting venues and high-risk businesses.

“Those who are in charge of these venues, businesses and houses of worship must ensure that they check the vaccine status of all those who enter their premises,” Dr Waqainabete said.

As of 18 February 2022, 93.1 percent of Fiji’s adult population of 844,000 were fully vaccinated against covid-19.

More than 800 deaths attributable to covid-19 have been recorded in Fiji.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Fiji has recorded 987 covid-19 cases, says Ministry of Health permanent secretary Dr James Fong who says the latest deaths are a “stark reminder” of the seriousness of the pandemic.

Fiji’s government reported on Monday 11 more people had died from covid-19, including a four-month-old girl and 15-year-old boy.

Dr Fong said 656 cases were recorded last Saturday while 81 new cases were recorded on Sunday and 250 new cases in the past 24 hours ending at 8am on Monday morning.

Dr Fong said it was known there remained a high risk of resurgence of endemic variants and the arrival of new variants.

“Our socioeconomic survival depends on our ability to build and sustain individual and community-wide resilience. We should expect that covid-19 will be endemic, however we need to appreciate that ‘endemic’ doesn’t mean harmless,” he said.

“Endemic means that we expect continued circulation of the disease in the community, the baseline levels of which are yet to be determined.

“Leptospirosis, typhoid and dengue are endemic in Fiji and they are associated with serious outcomes, especially when the number of cases increases to outbreak levels.

“Building resilience means that we must adopt healthier lifestyles, make covid-safe behaviour a habit that we adopt and support others to adopt. Our objective is to live with the virus and, at the same time, ensure a high level of transmission suppression and prevention of severe outcomes.”

Luke Rawalai is a Fiji Times journalist. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Fiji is bracing for a third wave of the covid-19 virus after tests have confirmed the presence of the omicron variant in local communities.

The country’s Health Secretary Dr James Fong said today the ministry was prioritising testing of suspected individuals to prevent severe illness and death and to focus on suppression where the risk of transmission was high.

“Omicron is vastly more infectious than delta. As such, in keeping with what we see in other countries, the omicron will become the dominant variant,” said Dr Fong.

“As omicron spreads very fast, you should assume you are infected, and self-isolate, if you develop any cold/flu-like symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, sore throat, cough, body ache, or fever.

“Gatherings have been observed where covid-safe measures have not been followed, or people have attended while having symptoms. We ask that if you have relaxed in your observance of covid safe measures, that you please resume now.

According to Dr Fong, 580 new cases of both the delta and omicron variant were recorded between Monday and eight o’clock today.

Of the 580 cases recorded since the last update, 146 cases were recorded in the Northern Division, 111 cases were recorded in the Western Division, 303 cases were recorded in the Central Division, and 20 cases in the Eastern Division.

2417 active cases in Fiji
There are currently 2417 active cases of covid-19 in the country.

The Health Ministry has recorded two additional deaths in its latest report, bringing the total death toll to 712 during the pandemic.

However, Dr Fong said the omicron variant was likely to cause milder disease as data from the United Kingdom and South Africa had shown the risk of hospitalisation was reduced by 80 percent and, once in hospital, the risk of severe diseases was reduced by 70 percent when compared to the delta variant.

“As with previous variants, unvaccinated people are at higher risk of severe disease. With more than 92 percent of adults fully vaccinated, we expect that our high vaccination rates, plus the infection-induced immunity from the large number of people who were infected during the last wave, will help to lower the number of people that develop severe disease.

“We continue to see that the majority of individuals testing positive in medical facilities are presenting for non-covid medical problems and found to be positive while undergoing routine screening as all admissions to the hospital are currently tested for covid-19.

“Also, the vast majority of cases turning positive have minimal symptoms and remain stable.

He added that severe outcomes would be expected in some individuals, including those who have been immunised with two doses of the vaccine, especially people with severe underlying medical conditions and people over the age of 50.

‘Monitored … in a timely manner’
“We have in place measures that ensure that those vulnerable to severe disease are adequately monitored, tested, retrieved, and effectively managed in a timely manner before their conditions worsen.

“However, we need the cooperation and support of community networks in formal and informal community settings and business settings, working in tandem with the ministry.

The ministry has advised the public to self-isolate at home if they have any of the covid-19 symptoms.

A health care worker must isolate for seven days while everyone else is required to isolate for 10 days.

Meanwhile, Fijians who are eligible to get their booster shot have been advised to do so as the country fights the new variant.

Josefa Babitu is a University of the South Pacific student journalist and contributor to Asia Pacific Report.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Fiji’s Ministry of Health’s clinical scoping team on the remote southern island of Kadavu has begun to put together a response plan to help escalate its response to an expected wave of severe covid-19 infections and deaths.

On Friday, a total of 47 cases were recorded outside the main island of Viti Levu — 46 on Kadavu, and one at Nabouwalu, Bua, on the second largest island Vanua Levu.

More villagers on Kadavu have tested positive and were among 303 new cases in Fiji reported for the 24 hours to 8am yesterday.

The government also confirmed five people had died, bringing the death toll to 438 – 436 of them from the outbreak that began in April this year.

A key part of the Kadavu response plan is to identify people vulnerable to severe covid and to “pre-emptively engage them in a care plan that allows early identification of danger symptoms and signs and access to clinical care in a timely manner”.

Health Secretary Dr James Fong said the situation in Kadavu remained a major concern and they anticipated their plan would be a challenging exercise.

“Another important part of the response to mitigate severe disease will be community-wide engagement to establish specific plans that help maintain oversight over vulnerable persons, and facilitate their timely transfer to a health care facility when required,” Dr Fong said last night.

Screening continues
He said the public health team was also continuing with screening and isolation protocols.

Dr Fong has also reiterated calls for maritime islanders to refrain from engaging in any unauthorised travel to and from Viti Levu.

All the current protocols to regulate domestic movements must be adhered to in order to prevent spread of the virus beyond Viti Levu, he said.

“We repeat our call to all village leaders and elders to support our current efforts to protect our maritime islands and to immediately report any suspicious movements into your community.”

Timoci Vula is a reporter with The Fiji Times. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Fiji has reported 968 new cases of covid-19 and 11 more deaths, including a teenager, for the 24 hours to 8am yesterday.

That compares with 1187 infections and 11 deaths in the previous 24-hour period.

The government also confirmed last night that all but one of the victims were not vaccinated.

Of the latest cases, 292 were from the Western Division while the rest from the Central Division.

More than 23,000 covid-positive people are in isolation, with more than a quarter of them at home.

Health Secretary Dr James Fong said 385 people had recovered from the coronavirus, which means there are now 23,226 active cases in isolation.

He said 18,589 of them are in the Central Division and 4637 in the west.

11 deaths recorded
“All cases that were recorded in the Northern and Eastern Divisions (cases that were imported from Viti Levu) have recovered and there are no active cases currently in those divisions.

“There have been 34,818 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 34,888 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 11,233 recoveries.”

Dr Fong said the latest 11 deaths were recorded between August 2 and 5, eight of them in the Central Division and three in the west.

• A 15-year-old girl from Tavua presented to a medical facility in respiratory distress and she was transferred to Lautoka Hospital on August 2. Her family reported that she had a fever, cough and shortness of breath two days prior to visiting the health centre. Clinical investigations revealed she had both leptospirosis and covid-19.

“Sadly, her condition worsened at the hospital and she died one day after admission,” Dr Fong said. “Her doctors have determined that she died from severe covid-19 and leptospirosis. Both diseases contributed to her death.

“She was not vaccinated as she was not in the target population of people 18 years and over who are eligible to receive the vaccine.”

Summary of deaths

• A 60-year-old man from Lami near Suva died at home on August 4.
• A 51-year-old woman from Raiwaqa in Suva also died at home on August 4.
• An 85-year-old man from Lautoka was declared dead on arrival by the attending medical officer at the Lautoka Hospital’s Emergency Department.

Dr Fong said this meant that he died at home or on his way to the hospital.

• An 88-year-old man from Sigatoka was declared dead on arrival by the attending medical officer at the Sigatoka Sub Divisional Hospital. This means he died at home or on his way to the hospital.
• An 86-year-old man from Toorak, Suva, presented to the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in severe respiratory distress on August 4. His condition worsened in the hospital and he died on the same day.
• An 85-year-old woman from Tailevu died at home on August 2.
• A 55-year-old man from Tailevu also died at home on the August 2.
• A 70-year-old woman from Tailevu died at home on August 2.
• A 90-year-old man from Raiwai died at home on August 5.
• An 85-year-old man from Naitasiri died at home on August 5.

Four other people who tested positive to covid-19 have died, however Dr Fong said their deaths were caused by serious pre-existing medical conditions and not covid.

He said a total of 146 covid-positive people had died but their deaths were classified as caused by the virus.

311 covid patients in hospital
“There are 311 covid-19 patients admitted to hospital, 63 of them are at Lautoka, 78 patients are admitted at the FEMAT field hospital, and 170 at Suva’s CWM, St Giles and Makoi hospitals. 48 patients are in severe condition, with six in critical condition.”

Almost 6000 people were screened and 636 swabbed at the clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 411,142 individuals screened and 73,893 swabbed to date.

Dr Fong said as of August 4, the ministry’s teams had screened a total of 1928 individuals and swabbed 91 others.

“This brings our cumulative total to 776,034 individuals screened and 68,462 swabbed by our mobile teams,” he said.

“A total of 287,237 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 330,098 tested since March 2020. 3352 tests have been reported for August 3.”

Dr Fong said the daily test average was 3401 per day or 3.8 tests per 1000 population. The national daily test positivity was 32.4 percent, almost seven times the World Health Organisation (WHO) threshold which is five percent.

“As of August 4, 498,680 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 164,974 have received their second doses. This means that 85 percent of the target population have received at least one dose and 28.1 percent are fully vaccinated nation-wide.

Daily average
“The daily average for new cases is 1156 or 1193 cases per million population per day. Daily case numbers remain high and daily test positivity remains high, indicating ongoing widespread community transmission in the Suva-Nausori containment zone.

“The cases are also increasing in the West with evidence of community transmission in the division.

“We are also recording increasing numbers of people with severe disease, and deaths in the West. The Northern and Eastern Divisions currently have no active cases.”

Dr Fong is urging the public to adhere to the covid-safe protocols including the daily curfew from 6pm-4am.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Two Fijian pregnant women are among the 21 covid-19 deaths reported within a seven-day period from July 14.

Their babies, however, were saved via a caesarean operation by the obstetric team.

Health Secretary Dr James Fong revealed this in his covid-19 live update last evening as he announced the country’s 1091 positive cases recorded in the last 24 hours that ended at 8am yesterday.

He said the 21 covid-19 deaths were recorded from July 14-20.

He said both mothers had been unwell with covid symptoms at home before presenting to health facilities in severe respiratory distress.

“In both cases, our physicians made the decision to conduct emergency caesarean operations to rescue the new-borns and assist with the care of the mothers,” Dr Fong said.

“Sadly, despite the best efforts of their attending physicians, both mothers passed away.”

Deaths a tragedy
Dr Fong said maternal deaths at any time were a tragedy and maternal deaths due to covid-19 were a clear indication of the severity of this outbreak.

He said the present outbreak was contained to Viti Levu, and primarily in the Lami-Suva-Nausori corridor.

And over the last week, he added that an increasing number of cases had been reported in the Western Division.

Dr Fong also announced 317 new recoveries with more than 4550 total recoveries from the virus.

“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,” he said.

Timoci Vula is a Fiji Times reporter. This article is republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Fiji health authorities have reported an additional 10 deaths from covid-19 over the past week.

In his daily statement on covid-19 cases, Health Secretary Dr James Fong said there were 634 new cases for the 24 hour period ending at 8am yesterday.

All of the dead were aged from 42 to 90 and nine had not been vaccinated, with the 10th having had one dose of vaccine.

Another two deaths of covid positive people are being investigated as they also had pre-existing medical conditions.

There have now been 69 deaths in Fiji from covid 19, 67 of those since the latest outbreak began in April.

Fiji now has 10,033 active cases.

As of Tuesday the government reports that 370,219 people had received their first dose of vaccine and 70,917 had had both doses, meaning just over 12 percent of the population is fully innoculated.

Dr Fong said people are still dying at home or coming into medical facilities in the late stage of severe illness, so reducing the chances of recovery.

Fiji to wear vaccinate jersey
The Fiji rugby team have agreed to wear jerseys supporting covid-19 vaccinations in this weekend’s second test against the All Blacks in Hamilton.

In a statement, Fiji Rugby chief executive John O’Connor said that after “comprehensive and productive discussions” with the Flying Fijian players, the team has agreed to wear the playing jersey featuring the “Vaccinate Fiji” message.

The team were supposed to wear jerseys with the words “Vaccinate Fiji” on the chest in last Saturday’s 57-23 loss to New Zealand in Dunedin, but the idea was ditched because of opposition from some team members.

Flying Fijians coach Vern Cotter said the jersey idea was “sprung” on the players at late notice without the necessary consultation.

“As you can imagine, it’s a delicate subject for some and so it was probably better to just have a clean jersey and then spend some time on how best we want to communicate on this matter and how comfortable the players and everybody are around that communication.”

That discussion has now taken place.

“We have listened to the concerns raised by some members of the squad regarding the message, and the perspective that individuals have different choices when it comes to vaccination,” O’Connor said.

“In turn, we explained FRU’s position and support for the vaccination programme in Fiji, which will help save lives and assist our health authorities in the fight against the Covid-19 outbreak.”

With not all the players fully on board, a compromise was struck.

“The squad has settled on the “Vaccinate Fiji’ jersey, with an additional “It’s Your Choice” message alongside it,” O’Connor explained.

“We thank them for their understanding and participation in this process.”

There will also be “Vaccinate Fiji” signage at the Hamilton game.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

A 15-year-old girl has become Fiji’s youngest death due to the covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, taking the total of deaths due to the virus to 58.

Health Secretary Dr James Fong has confirmed this after an investigation by medical personnel classified the case as another covid-19 death.

The girl from Colo-I-Suva was declared dead on arrival by the attending medical officer at the Raiwaqa Health Centre last week.

“This means that she either died at home or on her way to the health facility. Her family reported that she had been feeling unwell for two days,” Dr Fong said.

“Her symptoms included cough, shortness of breath, and chest pain.

“She was not vaccinated — she was not in the target population of people 18 years and over that are eligible to receive the vaccine.”

Two other covid deaths today
Her case was announced along with two other covid-19 deaths in the past day.

“The first covid-19 death we are reporting today is a 56-year-old woman from Vatuwaqa who died at home.

“The second covid-19 death was an 87-year-old woman from Nasinu. She presented to the FEMAT field hospital in severe respiratory distress. Her condition worsened at the FEMAT field hospital and she died two days after admission.

Both these patients were not vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine, donated by New Zealand and Australia, which the Health Ministry is administering to all eligible people around the country.

This brings the total deaths due to the virus to 58, with 56 of these deaths coming during the outbreak that started in April this year.

Separately, there have been 26 covid-19 positive patients who died from serious medical conditions that they had before they contracted the virus. These cases are not classified by the ministry as covid-19 deaths.

New daily record
A total of 9310 people are battling the delta variant of the virus in the country after it recorded a new daily high record of 873 cases ending at 8 am today while 132 recoveries were made.

“The 7-day average of new cases per day is 696 cases per day or 787 cases per million population per day.

With daily increases in cases, the ministry has seen an increase in severe cases of covid-19 and increasing deaths

The ministry has vaccinated 353,355 adults with their first dose of the vaccine and 66,643 have received their second doses as of July 11.

Percentage-wise, this means that 60.2 percent of the target population have received at least one dose and 11.4 percent are now fully vaccinated nationwide.

“With increasing daily cases, hospitalisations, and deaths, we are asking all Fijians to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”

Fiji’s covid-19 cases stand at 11,385 with only 1991 recoveries since March last year.

Josefa Babitu is a final-year student journalist at the University of the South Pacific (USP). He is also the current student editor for Wansolwara, USP Journalism’s student training newspaper and online publication. He is a contributor to Asia Pacific Report.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Fiji’s FEMAT field hospital at Laucala Bay in the capital Suva has begun its transition into a covid-19 dedicated hospital as the country’s health authorities reported 791 new cases and three deaths in the past day.

Health Secretary Dr James Fong highlighted this in his covid-19 update last night.

Dr Fong said the ministry had set up an emergency number 165 for people with severe covid-19 symptoms to contact if they could not get to a hospital themselves.

“Sadly, we continue to see people with severe COVID-19 dying at home or coming to a medical facility in the late stages of severe illness and dying within a day or two,” Dr Fong said.

“Severe COVID-19 is a medical emergency and a delay in receiving appropriate medical treatment may result in a higher risk of death,” he said.

Dr Fong said Fijians need to know the severe symptoms of covid-19, which include:

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

“If you or a loved one have any of these symptoms please go immediately to your nearest medical facility or call 165 if unable to get to a medical facility.”

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Fiji has reported 522 new cases of covid-19 in the last 24 hours – a record number of daily cases.

The Fiji government has also confirmed three more deaths due to the coronavirus, bringing the toll to 30.

The Health Ministry said that all three were unvaccinated and had died at home or on the way to a health centre.

Two of the deaths had previously been under investigation to determine if the cause was covid-19.

A fourth under investigation has been found to be caused by a pre-existing illness.

There have now been 30 deaths due to covid-19 in Fiji, with 28 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year.

The ministry issued an official reminder that home therapy was not the right remedy for the coronavirus.

Battled conspiracy theories
As health authorities record 6091 cases since the delta variant outbreak began in mid-April, the country has battled conspiracy theories, alternative treatments and vaccine reluctance.

“Steam therapy and drinking hot water are not the treatment for covid-19 and it does not protect one from contracting covid-19,” a government statement said.

“Inhaling steam (kuvui) and keeping hydrated with warm drinks are commonly used as home therapy to provide relief from a congested nasal passage, and short term instant relief from symptoms of cold or inflamed sinuses.

“They should not be taken as a treatment or protection from covid-19 infection.”

The ministry said getting vaccinated and practising hygiene measures such as wearing a mask when people left home, washing hands frequently or hand sanitising, covering the mouth while coughing or sneezing and social distancing remained the best ways to stay protected against the pandemic.

The measures also helped to stop the transmission of the virus from one person to another.

In addition, the government has also reminded those who have been told to quarantine at home because they have come into contact with someone who is positive that they should do so for as long as they have been told to.

Three deaths reported
Health Secretary Dr James Fong said the three deaths reported today, a 93-year-old woman, a man, 60, and a 56-year-old woman, all from Lami, were unvaccinated and either died at home or on the way to hospital.

Eight people who have died as a result of covid-19 in just over a month either died at home or on their way to hospital, prompting calls from the government urging people to get to health facilities once they experience covid-19 symptoms.

“As expected, with the increasing cases numbers we are also seeing increasing numbers of people with severe disease, and more deaths in the Suva-Nausori containment zone. It remains a serious concern that some people with severe disease come to a medical facility only in the late stages of their illness,” Dr Fong said.

“And we are still sadly seeing people with severe disease die at home or on the way to hospital, before our medical teams have a chance to administer what could potentially be life saving treatment.”

Fijian health authorities are running an average of 3144 tests per day and 10.4 percent of those are positive.

Meanwhile, 317,461 adults have received their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine and 52,001 have received their second dose. Health authorities still have to reach 91.1 percent of the 650,000 target population.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Opposition National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad has accused the Fiji government of “losing the plot” and “meekly surrendering’ its citizens to suffer from the impact of the deadly covid-19 pandemic.

His stinging criticism came after health authorities reported this afternoon a record 431 confirmed cases of covid-19 and two deaths related to the coronavirus in the 24-hour reporting period that ended at 8am today.

Health Secretary Dr James Fong said in his daily briefing that the new cases were from the Central and Western Divisions.

Dr Fong said a full breakdown of areas of interest had been published online on the ministry’s covid-19 dashboard and on the Fiji government Facebook page, The Fiji Times reports.

The approximate locations of the new cases are at this link.

“There have now been 24 deaths due to covid-19 in Fiji, with 22 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year,” Dr Fong said.

“We also have recorded 11 covid-19 positive patients who [have] died from conditions that they had before they contracted covid-19.”

‘Care and compassion’ needed
Dr Prasad said in a statement to Asia Pacific Report that the Fiji people needed “care and compassion” at this most critical time in the country’s independent history.

“Instead, this government believes it is okay that people suffer as long as it is able to rake in taxpayers funds through direct and indirect taxes by reopening the economy,” he said.

“It is a matter of wonderment that two different ministries of government totally contradict each other in terms of the so-called mitigation strategy to tackle covid-19.

“The Permanent Secretary for Health [Dr Fong] has repeatedly emphasised the need for people to stay at home and only move around for essential services like purchasing food, medicine, seeking medical treatment or exercise.

“But Trade Minister Faiyaz Koya has revealed they are looking at reopening not only retail business but allowing restaurants, food courts and gymnasiums to be fully operational under ‘covid-safe’ measures.

“This is the height of incompetency in a government whose leader has said in Parliament that ‘nobody gives a damn’ when asked by a NFP parliamentarian to reset their moral compass and show leadership.

“It is clear that this government is shredding the livelihoods of thousands of people, forced the closure of hundreds of small and medium enterprises, brought tragedy and ruin to hundreds of families and cause[d] irreparable damage to the economy, by completely abandoning its moral obligation and responsibility for the health, wellbeing and safety of the citizens.”

‘Worst fears’ confirmed
On Wednesday night, the Health Permanent Secretary’s statement that people who believed they had covid symptoms should find their way to the hospital or covid care facility for testing because health teams were stretched, “confirms our worst fears of collapse of delivery of health and medical services”.

“How does the government expect people, struggling to put food on the table, find their own way to the nearest medical facility?” Dr Prasad asked.

“Worse, what happens during curfew hours when public transport is not available?

“The so–called mitigation strategies will not work. If anything, it is a concession of astronomical rise in the number of cases, tragically resulting in more deaths.

“We know the government is cash-strapped. It has been so for a while. But it has to blame itself for being in this position due to economic mismanagement, waste and pilferage of funds, lack of transparency and accountability and bad governance.

“But the government must not sacrifice its citizens for its own failures. If it doesn’t change course and change its strategy from mitigation to elimination, Fiji is headed for disaster,” dr Prasad said.

“It will be the most painful and tragic legacy left behind by any government since independence. Despite this tragic situation, we urge people to take extra care, observe all covid-safe protocols, get vaccinated and help each other.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Fiji has reported its highest daily total of positive covid-19 infections with 279 cases reported as of 8am today as the outbreak continues to soar.

The ministry has also reported four deaths attributed to the virus.

Health Secretary Dr James Fong announced these figures in the covid-19 update this evening.

He said of those cases, 46 are from existing containment zones or quarantine facilities in Nadi.

That includes 22 from Nawajikuma, 8 from Tramline, and 16 are close contacts in quarantine facilities.

He said the remaining 233 cases are from the Lami-Nausori Containment Zone, and 196 cases of which are from existing areas of concern.

“That means they are either from known clusters or they have a potential link to an existing case,” Dr Fong said.

“All 279 of these new patients are currently in isolation at home or in a facility.”

Details on four deaths
For the four deaths, Dr Fong said the first two deaths were announced yesterday as being under investigation to determine if they were caused by covid-19.

He said the first was a 57-year-old male who was admitted to the Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH) for a pre-existing non-covid medical condition, and he tested positive during his admission.

“The second was a 66-year-old female who was declared dead on arrival to the emergency department at CWM Hospital. In accordance with protocol, she was swabbed, and tested positive for covid-19.

“Their doctors have now confirmed that covid-19 caused the deaths of both these individuals,” Dr Fong said.

The third death, he said was a 62-year-old male from Nausori who was referred to the CWM Hospital yesterday from Nausori Health Centre in severe respiratory distress.

“He had obvious signs and symptoms of severe covid-19 and he tested positive later in the day.

“Despite the efforts of the medical team at CWM Hospital, he died late yesterday afternoon.

Fourth death
“The fourth death is a 77-year-old female who had been admitted at CWM Hospital for a pre-existing non-covid medical condition.

“She tested positive during her admission and died today. Her doctors have confirmed that she died due to covid-19.”

Dr Fong said there were nine other patients admitted at CWM Hospital with severe cases of covid-19, and one of those patients was a 30-year-old with no pre-existing illness.

Republished from The Fiji Times with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Fiji’s covid-19 cases continue to escalate as medical authorities have recorded another record breaking 166 new people now infected with covid-19 and a death at the Colonial War Memorial (CWM) Hospital in the capital Suva.

The Fiji government has stopped providing information about where the case increases are and the Health Secretary Dr James Fong admitted that community transmission was now “broad”.

The latest death is a 77-year-old man detected by a CWM screening team at his home where he had been bed-ridden for several months.

Despite that he had pre-existing medical conditions, doctors assessing clinical data have attributed the cause of death to covid-19. He represents the seventh to die from the virus, the fifth in this outbreak alone.

Cases in the small township of Lami just outside the capital continues to increase and so measures to ensure safe passage of people from affected containment zones to safe areas on the main island Viti Levu and to other islands is a focus of the government.

“The current priority is therefore to prevent the export of cases into the other non-containment zones. As such any request to move outside of the Central Division to other areas of Viti Levu and from Viti Levu to Vanua Levu and the Maritime zone needs to be strictly regulated,” Dr Fong said.

“Pre-departure swab tests and Quarantine capability are being expanded and strengthened to reduce the risk of spread within and beyond the main island, Viti Levu.”

Dr Fong said the majority of the weekend’s new cases were linked to existing clusters so the government would post heat maps on its digital platforms “to delineate case distribution within the Central and Western divisions.”

He added everyone should practise Covid Safe measures when they left their homes irrespective of where they lived or were going.

Vaccination roll-out continues
The Ministry of Health vaccination teams continue to roll out as another 50,000 doses of Astrazeneca arrived in Fiji on Saturday night as part of the Australian Government Support.

Vaccination now moves onto the outer islands of the Northern and Eastern Divisions of the country.

Fiji’s vaccine of choice remains AstraZeneca despite the fact that the Australian government, from which it receives the majority of its supply, has recommended the discontinued use of the vaccine for its under 60-year-olds.

Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt announced earlier this week the AstraZeneca vaccine would be recommended for use in people over 60 and those under 60 would now be offered the Pfizer shot.

The Australian federal government accepted advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) after two women died from an extremely rare blood clotting disorder and 60 Australians out of the 3.8 million who got the shot developed blood clots.

Meanwhile the Australian government has provided Fiji with 250,000 Australian-manufactured AstraZeneca vaccines as part of its commitment of 1 million vaccines to its Pacific neighbour.

In response to concerns about Australia’s change of vaccine policy, the World Health Organisation Representative Office in the Pacific and the Ministry of Health Fiji put out a joint statement to say that after vaccinating 256,018 people (44 percent of the adult population) with one dose of AstraZeneca and administering two doses to 17,990 people, there were no confirmed cases of serious adverse effects.

Effective response measure
The WHO/MOH said covid-19 vaccination remains one of Fiji’s most effective response measures.

“Australia’s decision does not change the approach for us here in Fiji. Given the current community transmission and Covid-19 variant, all unvaccinated individuals are at risk from the virus.”

“It is also important to remember that serious adverse events following immunization with the AstraZeneca vaccine remain rare events.”

Further, the WHO continues to recommend Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines “for individuals aged 18 years and over. These vaccines have undergone the strictest safety and quality control trials and have reached the exacting standards of safety, purity, and effectiveness. Nothing is left to chance,” the statement said.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Fiji’s Health Ministry has announced 105 new covid-19 cases as the pandemic crisis worsens.

Health Secretary Dr James Fong said 98 of the cases recorded yesterday were linked to existing clusters, while links to seven more cases were still under investigation.

He said new cases recorded at Grantham Rd and Tacirua were under investigation to determine whether they had links to other cases.

He confirmed two patients admitted at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH) for pre-existing severe illnesses had died.

“With the ongoing outbreak at the hospital, both patients tested positive for covid-19 during their admission,” he said.

“However, their doctors have determined that their causes of death are related to the pre-existing illnesses for which they were admitted and receiving treatment for at the hospital.

“These are not covid-19 caused deaths.”

Review of cases
Meanwhile, a review of cases from Nadi found that one case tested positive twice.

Fiji has recorded 1048 cases since the outbreak in April this year, with eight recoveries.

There are now 796 active cases in isolation.

Fiji has recorded a total of 1118 cases since the first case was reported in March, 2020.

There have been 312 recoveries and 4 deaths because of covid-19 and a total of 6 COVID-19 positive patients have died from pre-existing non-covid-19 related illnesses.

New cases — CWMH-21; Nawajikuma, Nawaka, Nadi-16; Tramline, Nawaka, Nadi- 6; Kinoya- 1; Navosai- 2; Tacirua- 2; Waila- 11; Navy- 11; IMT- 8; Grantham Rd- 5; Muanikoso- 15; and Nasinu Police Barracks- 7.

Arieta Vakasukawaqa is a Fiji Times reporter. Republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Fifty-one cases of covid-19 have been confirmed in Fiji tonight, with 35 of them from the fastest-growing cluster at Nadi.

This takes the total number of infections since the outbreak started in April to 900, with 684 active cases currently in isolation.

The Health Ministry said two cases were from the Lami-Nausori containment zone and their links to other cases are unknown.

Health Secretary Dr James Fong said the rest of the cases were linked to existing clusters: Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH) – 6; Nawaka, Nadi – 35; Vunimono – 2; the government’s Covid-19 Incident Management Team (IMT) – 4 and Waila – 1.

Dr Fong said another case was a primary contact of an active case, and the connection to a cluster was being determined by the contact tracing teams.

He said the two unknown cases were from Raiwai in Suva, and Nakasi in Nausori.

Dr Fong also announced the death of an individual who was admitted at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital and then tested positive for covid-19.

Medical complications
He said the patient’s doctors had determined that he had died because of complications of the serious medical condition that led him to his admission in hospital.

“The ministry expresses our condolences to his family,” Dr Fong said.

Thirty nine cases were reported on Thursday, and Dr Fong said the outbreak remained primarily centred in the Lami-Suva-Nausori Containment Zone.

He said 22 patients had recovered with 684 active cases in isolation while 900 cases were recorded during the current outbreak that started two months ago.

There have been 970 cases recorded in Fiji since the first case was confirmed in March 2020, with 278 recoveries and four deaths.

Four other covid-19 positive patients have died from pre-existing illnesses and are non-related to the virus.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz