STATEMENT BY THE PERMANENT SECRETARY FOR HEALTH & MEDICAL SERVICES DR. JAMES FONG - 17.07.21

17/07/2021


Transmission Update
We have 1,180 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 5 new COVID-19 deaths to report for the period of 13th July to 16th July. 
 
The first COVID-19 death to report is a 47 year old woman from Raiwaqa. She presented to a medical facility with severe COVID-19 symptoms including shortness of breath. Her condition worsened at the health facility and she died on the same day 14/7/2021. She was not vaccinated.  
 
The second COVID-19 death to report is a 61 year old man from Caubati. He presented to a health facility in severe respiratory distress. His condition worsened at the health facility and he died on the same day 15/7/2021. His family reported that he had been unwell with symptoms that included generalized body pains. He was not vaccinated.  
 
The third COVID-19 death to report is a 67 year old woman from Naiyala Village. She presented to a health facility in severe respiratory distress. Her condition worsened at the health facility and she died on the same day (15/7/2021). Her family reported that she had been unwell with COVID-19 symptoms four days prior. She was not vaccinated. 
 
The fourth COVID-19 death to report is a 61 year old woman from Valelevu. She presented to a medical facility in severe respiratory distress. Her condition worsened in the health facility and she died on the same day 16/7/2021. She received her 1st dose of the vaccine in early-June. She did not receive her 2nd dose of the vaccine. This means that she was not fully vaccinated. 
 
The fifth COVID-19 death to report is a 66 year old woman from Lami who died at home (13/07/2021). Her family reported that she was feeling unwell with generalized muscular weakness and was noted to have a reduced appetite. She was not vaccinated. 
 
There have now been 85 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 83 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. We also have recorded 34 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 159 new recoveries reported since the last update, which means that there are now 12,975 active cases. There have been 16,401 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 16,471 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 3,377 recoveries.
 
There are seven more deaths currently under investigation. These will be discussed once investigations (including test results) and classifications are complete. 
 
Screening Update
A total of 6,347 individuals were screened and 1,954 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 318,919 individuals screened and 54,340 swabbed to date. Our mobile screening teams screened a total of 4,430 individuals and swabbed 611 in the last 24 hours. This brings our cumulative total to 716,758 individuals screened and 61,466 swabbed by our mobile teams to date.
 
Testing update
A total of 220,959 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 263,820 tested since testing began in March 2020. 3409 tests have been reported for July 15th. Testing number data for one laboratory is still pending for July 15th.  Based on available testing numbers, the national 7-day daily test average is 3876 tests per day or 4.4 tests per 1,000 population. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 21.7% and continues on an upward trend. 
 
Vaccination Update
As of the 16th July 391,363 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 77,610 have received their second doses. This means that 66.7% of the target population have received at least one dose and 13.2 % 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 921 cases per day or 1040 cases per million population per day.  Average daily case numbers are increasing, together with cases of severe disease and deaths. 

Advice to the public
In the Suva-Nausori Containment Zone, people with severe COVID-19 are still dying at home, or they are coming to a medical facility in the late stages of severe illness. Severe COVID-19 is a medical emergency, and a delay in receiving appropriate medical treatment reduces your chance of recovering from the disease. 
 
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.