COVID-19

Over 830 direct and casual contacts for patient nine

April 7, 2020 4:15 pm

Health Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete

There are over 830 people who came into direct and casual contact with the 54-year-old man who is Fiji’s ninth confirmed case of COVID-19.

Health Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete says some of these individuals who are the immediate family of the Labasa man have already tested positive for the virus.

“If you look at the behaviour of the spread of Coronavirus in Fiji, it’s the direct contacts that are getting the virus we haven’t had a casual contact get the virus”.

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Dr Waqainabete has assured Fijians that they have been able to contact all those who came in contact with the 9th case.

“We know where they are and we have been able to get in touch with them”.

The mechanism for contact tracing and enforcement of self-quarantine and self-isolation for those who need to self-isolate are now on-going.

Dr Waqainabete says patient one, the flight attendant is believed to have had 165 direct and casual contacts before being isolated.

Contact tracing found some were symptomatic, but only five tested positive for COVID-19.

The other 160 remain asymptomatic.

The patient from Nadera, Nasinu who had isolated himself upon return to Fiji had 30 contacts and none have shown any symptoms while in isolation.

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