[Source: Ministry of Health and Medical Services]

The Ministry of Health has recorded 241 new cases in the 24-hour period ending at 8.00am yesterday, and another death of a 50-year-old man.

Five cases are corrections officers from Suva at the Fiji Sugar Corporation Compound in Rakiraki.

Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong says they were undergoing 14 days quarantine at the FSC compound as part of the essential movement from the red zone to the green zone when they tested positive.

The remaining cases are from the Lami-Suva-Nausori containment zone.

There are 106 from existing areas of interest and 17 from the following new areas of interest: Fiji Times, Food City Suva, Matanisivoro Settlement, National Kidney Centre-Nadera, Suva City Council, Tamavua-i-Wai.

Doctor Fong says the remaining cases are contacts of known cases, cases that were seen in screening clinics and were swabbed, and cases under investigation to determine possible sources of transmission.

The Ministry has reported a new COVID-19 death.

A 50-year-old man from Newtown, Nasinu was declared dead on arrival by doctors at the Valelevu Health Centre.

He was reported to be in severe respiratory distress before death.

Doctor Fong says according to protocol he was swabbed at the health centre, and tested positive.

His death has been classified as a COVID-19 death by the doctors at the health centre.

He had received the first dose of the vaccine early this month and was not fully vaccinated.

The Permanent Secretary says a death previously reported as under investigation has now been classified as a COVID-19 death by doctors.

The 62-year-old man from Grantham Road who presented to the FEMAT field hospital in respiratory distress, died on the same day.

Doctor Fong says he had been having respiratory symptoms, including shortness of breath, for at least a week before presenting to FEMAT.

According to protocol he was swabbed and tested positive for COVID-19.

The deceased was not vaccinated.

The Ministry has now recorded 17 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 15 of these deaths current outbreak that started in April.

One death is still under investigation to determine if it was caused by COVID-19.

Doctor Fong says they have also recorded eight COVID-19 positive patients who died from the pre-existing non-COVID-19 related illnesses that they had been receiving treatment for at the CWM Hospital.

There are currently 21 COVID-19 patients with severe illness admitted at CWM Hospital.

There have been 26 new recoveries reported since the last update, which means that there are now 3027 active cases in isolation.

There have been 3, 726 cases during the outbreak that started in April.

The Ministry has recorded a total of 3, 832 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 779 recoveries.

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[Source: Ministry of Health and Medical Services]

[Source: Ministry of Health and Medical Services]

[Source: Fiji Police]