Police checkpoint in Nadera today
There are 23 infections of COVID-19 in Fiji on Saturday, while there were 18 cases recorded yesterday.
Of the 233 active cases two are considered severe and are admitted at the CWM Hospital in Suva.
For yesterday, there were nine from the Narere cluster, five from the Waila zone, one from Muanikoso, one from Navy cluster, while there was two from Korociri in Nadi.
Health Permanent Secretary, Doctor James Fong, says the two in Nadi are linked to each other and are from the Korociri Settlement near Nawaka village, which is now under lockdown.
The 23 for cases today is 15 from the Navy cluster. This includes one from Nadonumai in Lami, and three from Khalsa. There are seven from the Waila cluster, one is part of the Nadali cluster.
Doctor Fong says all 46 cases announced on Friday were generated from known clusters and the initial three that were under investigation are now known to be from the Navy cluster.
“This is reassuring in that the cases coming from our screening areas and tests coming from non-screening areas remain negative.”
Police checkpoint in Nadera today
Doctor Fong says with the last case recorded in Nadi on May 12, this means that the Nadi containment zone went more than one incubation period of 14 days before registering another case, despite high levels of testing.
“But we knew this was not long enough. We always expected that we might see cases emerge again in Nadi and Lautoka. We were never COVID-free; we could only contain the virus. We have seen this experience replicated in many countries around the world; where certain areas go through a prolonged phase of no cases and then one case suddenly emerges. We have seen this same theme play out on the world stage as well – countries that were seen as success stories in containing the virus (Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand, Singapore, Mongolia) have recently had to contend with large outbreaks. This highlights the point: no country is safe until every country is safe and for Fiji, nowhere is safe until everywhere is safe.”
Screening in Narere today
Doctor Fong says people can expect to see more quarantine and isolation facilities and all Fijians are asked to accept these facilities in or near their communities and understand that these facilities are safe.
“They are carefully controlled and pose no danger. Quarantine and isolation facilities are a necessary part of our battle to be COVID-contained, and we need them.”
The Health Ministry says they need to continue to rapidly find cases, isolate and test them, find and quarantine their contacts and reduce unnecessary movement of people in containment zones and instil COVID19 safe behaviours and practices to stop the virus moving and spreading.
“The first part of the strategy is largely in the hands of the health teams and our partners – though we also need people to come forward to get tested if they have symptoms or are contacts of cases. But the second strategy is in the hands of everyone. It is human behaviour that finally determines how well we can stop the spread. Our capacity to stop this virus is really in the hands of every Fijian. It only works if the people act with extreme caution and follow the recommended protocols. We can only limit our vulnerability by promoting, using and enforcing COVID-safe behaviours and practices.”
Screening in Narere today
Fiji has recorded 401 cases in Fiji since the first case was detected in March of last year, with 164 recoveries and four deaths.
There have been 331 cases since the second outbreak started in April.
Over 60,000 COVID-19 tests have been conducted since this outbreak, with over 103,566 since we started testing early last year.
There were three recoveries yesterday, which means there are now 233 active cases. two of the active cases are in Nadi, and 231 in the Suva-Lami-Nausori containment zone.
Police checkpoint in Nadera today
