Transmission Update
We have 1301 new cases of COVID-19 to report for the 24 hour period that ended at 8am today. 293 cases are from the Western Division and 1008 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 245 new recoveries reported since the last update, which means that there are now 20,200 active cases. 17,774 active cases are in the Central Division and 2,426 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 27,427 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 27,497 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 6,951 recoveries.
Deaths
We have 9 new COVID-19 deaths to report for the period of 26 July to 27th July.
The first COVID-19 death to report is an 83 year old man from Lautoka. He presented to the Lautoka Hospital in respiratory distress. He reported having a cough and shortness of breath for five days. His condition worsened at the hospital and he died 3 days after admission (27/07/2021). He was not vaccinated.
The second COVID-19 death to report is a 72 year old woman from Samabula who died at home on the 26/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.
The third COVID-19 death to report is a 69 year old man from Valelevu. 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 (25/07/2021). He was not vaccinated.
The fourth COVID-19 death to report is a 64 year old man from Suva who died at home on the 27/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.
The fifth COVID-19 death to report is a 84 year old man from Nabua who died at home on 27/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.
The sixth COVID-19 death to report is a 59 year old man from Nakasi who died at home on the 27/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.
The seventh COVID-19 death to report is a 91 year old woman from Suva who died at home on the 27/07/2021. She was not vaccinated.
The eighth COVID-19 death to report is a 68 year old woman from Wailoku who died at home on the 27/07/2021.She was not vaccinated.
The ninth COVID-19 death to report is a 75 year old man from Raiwaqa who died at home on the 26/07/2021. He was not vaccinated.
There have been 15 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.
There have now been 227 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 225 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. The 7 day rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is 8. We also have recorded 119 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 304 COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital. 29 patients are admitted at Lautoka hospital. In Suva, 77 patients are admitted at the FEMAT field hospital, and 198 admitted at CWM hospital, St Giles, and Makoi. 53 patients are considered to be in severe condition, and 16 are in critical condition.
Screening Update
A total of 6,011 individuals were screened and 956 swabbed at our stationary screening clinics in the last 24 hours, bringing our cumulative total to 377,935 individuals screened and 69,662 swabbed to date. As of the 27th July our mobile screening teams screened a total of 5,847 individuals and swabbed 550. This brings our cumulative total to 753,259 individuals screened and 66,904 swabbed by our mobile teams.
Testing update
A total of 263,109 samples have been tested since this outbreak started in April 2021, with 305,970 tested since testing began in March 2020. 3138 tests have been reported for July 27th. Testing number data for one lab is pending for 26th-27th July. Based on available data the national 7-day daily test average is 3302 tests per day or 3.7 tests per 1,000 population. The national 7-day average daily test positivity is 25.6 %.
Vaccination Update
As of the 28nd July 465,110 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 120,451 have received their second doses. This means that 79.3% of the target population have received at least one dose and 20.5% 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 877 cases per day or 991 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 Western Division. The Northern and Eastern Divisions currently have no active cases.
Advice to the public
For people with COVID-19 symptoms in Suva-Nausori:
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.
However, 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.
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.