Head of Health Protection, Dr Aalisha Sahukhan

The third confirmed COVID-19 case in Fiji is a one-year-two-month-old baby.

Head of Health Protection, Dr Aalisha Sahukhan says this is a close contact of the first case – a household member.

Dr Sahukhan says the baby’s test result came back positive today.

She says the baby developed symptoms of the Coronavirus while in Nadi Hospital and is in stable condition.

“He was well until Saturday when he developed a fever. So he was in isolation with the rest of the members of the family. As you remember on the day of the first case was confirmed on Thursday the entire family of eleven was isolated immediately by the Ministry of Health team at Nadi Hospital. We have been monitoring the family very closely”.

Dr Sahukhan says out of the eleven that has been isolated at Nadi Hospital – they have tested six.

“These six out of the eleven family members had developed symptoms as you know of course the mother of the first case tested positive and now this little baby. We will continue to keep this family under isolation and observation and test as needed.”

The Health Ministry says it continues to monitor the close contacts of a first confirmed case.

Fiji has confirmed our third case of #COVID19, the first patient’s one-year-old nephew. Once again, this new patient did not display any symptoms until after he was placed into isolation.

All three patients are in stable condition.

— Frank Bainimarama (@FijiPM) March 23, 2020

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