STATEMENT BY THE PERMANENT SECRETARY FOR HEALTH & MEDICAL SERVICES DR. JAMES FONG - 02.08.21

02/08/2021


Transmission Update
We have 1100 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8am today. 386 cases are from the Western Division and 714 cases are from the Central Division. 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 new cases, active cases, and recovered cases on the dashboard at the following link: http://bit.ly/3vE2ZBb.

There have been 589 new recoveries reported since the last update, which means that there are now 22,592 active cases. 18,887 active cases are in the Central Division and 3,705 in the West. 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 31,443 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 31,513 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 8,531 recoveries.

Deaths
We have 13 new COVID-19 deaths to report for the period of 29th July- 01st August. 7 of the deaths were in the Central Division, and 6 were in the West. 

The first COVID-19 death to report is a 79 year old man from Rewa who died at home on  01/08/2021. He received the 1st dose of the vaccine in mid-July. He did not receive the second dose of the vaccine. This means that he was not fully vaccinated.

The second COVID-19 death to report is a 48 year old man from Nepani. He presented to the CWM Hospital emergency department in severe respiratory distress. His condition worsened at the hospital and he died on the same day (31/07/2021). He received the 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 third COVID-19 death to report is a 67 year old man from Lami who died at home on the 31/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The fourth COVID-19 death to report is a 69 year old man from Suva who died at home on the 30/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.

The fifth COVID-19 death to report is a 44 year old woman from Lami. She presented to a medical facility in severe respiratory distress. A medical team retrieved her from the medical facility and brought her to the CWM hospital. Her condition worsened in the hospital and she died 2 days after admission on 30/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The sixth COVID-19 death to report is a 55 year old woman from Lautoka. She presented to the Lautoka Hospital in severe respiratory distress. Her condition worsened in the hospital and she died 6 days after admission on 01/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The seventh COVID-19 death to report is a 39 year old woman from Lautoka. She presented to the Lautoka Hospital in severe respiratory distress. Her condition worsened in the hospital and she died 8 days after admission on 01/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The eighth COVID-19 death to report is a 53 year old woman from Nadi. She presented to the Nadi Hospital in severe respiratory distress. Her condition worsened in the hospital and she died 1 day after admission on  01/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The ninth COVID-19 death to report is a 55 year old woman from Lautoka. She presented to the Lautoka Hospital in severe respiratory distress. Her condition worsened in the hospital and she died 2 days after admission on 01/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The tenth COVID-19 death to report is an 81 year old woman from Sigatoka. She presented to the Sigatoka Hospital in severe respiratory distress. Her condition worsened in the hospital and she died 3 days after admission on 31/08/2021. She was not vaccinated.

The eleventh COVID-19 death to report is a 90 year old man from Sigatoka who died at home on the 29/07/2021. He was not vaccinated. 

The twelfth COVID-19 death to report is a 77 year old woman from Tamavua. She presented to the FEMAT field hospital in severe respiratory distress. A medical team retrieved her from the FEMAT field hospital and brought her to the CWM Hospital. Her condition worsened in the hospital and she died 12 days after admission on the 29/07/2021. She was not vaccinated. 

The thirteenth COVID-19 death to report is an 87 year old woman from Nakasi. She presented to a medical facility in severe respiratory distress. A medical team retrieved her from the medical facility and brought her to the CWM Hospital. Her condition worsened in the hospital and she died 14 days after admission on the 02/08/2021. She was not vaccinated. 

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

With today’s newly reported deaths, there have now been 254 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 252 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. The 7 day rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 7.  We also have recorded 136 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 302 COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital. 23 patients are admitted at Lautoka hospital. In Suva, 80 patients are admitted at the FEMAT field hospital, and 199 admitted at CWM hospital, St Giles, and Makoi. 50 patients are considered to be in severe condition, and 13 are in critical condition. 

Screening Update
A total of 992 individuals were screened and 163 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 394,294 individuals screened and 71,762 swabbed to date. As of the 01st August our mobile screening teams screened a total of 289 individuals and swabbed 41. This brings our cumulative total to 770,493 individuals screened and 68,102 swabbed by our mobile teams. 
 
Testing update
A total of 277,016 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 319,877 tested since testing began in March 2020. 3223 tests have been reported for July 31st. Testing number data for one lab for July 31st is pending. Based on available data the national 7-day daily test average is 3296 tests per day or 3.7 tests per 1,000 population. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 31.8 %.  
 
Vaccination Update
As of the 01st August 484,629 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 144,194 have received their second doses. This means that 82.6% of the target population have received at least one dose and 24.6% 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 1013 cases per day or 1145 cases per million population per day. Daily cases numbers remain high, and daily test positivity remains high, indicating ongoing widespread community transmission in the Suva-Nausori containment zone. Cases are also increasing in the West with evidence of community transmission in that 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. 

Advice to the public
For people with COVID-19 symptoms in Suva-Nausori:  

If you or someone you are caring for has mild symptoms but 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 visit one of our screening clinics and get tested. If you test positive, then we will ensure you are provided immediate care by our health teams. 

Community transmission within the Suva-Nausori containment zone is at a very high level. This means that anyone who develops symptoms of COVID-19 in Suva-Nausori should assume that they have COVID-19. Most people infected with COVID-19 will have mild symptoms like cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever, loss of taste or smell, body ache, or headache, and will fully recover at home with no medical intervention necessary. People who have any of these symptoms and are not within a group that is at higher risk for developing severe COVID-19 will no longer be tested for COVID-19, and should stay at home, strictly self-isolate for 14 days, 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. 
 
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 of home isolation.

2.) Symptomatic workers can also obtain a medical certificate for the 14 days self-isolation at home from participating General Practitioners (GPs).

For people anywhere else in Fiji: 
 
Please call 158 or go to your nearest screening clinic for testing if you have any symptoms of COVID-19. If you do leave your home to go to a screening clinic: please wear a mask that covers your mouth and nose, keep at least 2 metres between yourself and others outside your household, wash your hands with soap and water frequently or use hand sanitiser, and download and activate the careFiji app if you have a smartphone, and avoid using public transport. Also call 158 if you have been in contact with someone confirmed as a case of COVID-19.