The Ministry of Health is conducting evaluations to determine which areas of the CWM Hospital in Suva need to be locked down after a patient and a nurse from the hospital tested positive for COVID-19.

Permanent Secretary, Doctor James Fong, says they are working to establish procedures to keep critical services functioning safely.

“In response to these recent cases, all patients, their carers, and all staff at CWM will now be swabbed and tested in order to gauge the extent of any spread within the hospital. This is an estimated 1200 people who will be tested overnight.”

He adds that for the time being, all non-emergency outpatient services will cease including the special outpatients department.

“The wards of concern are in the East and West Wings and all these wards have been put on lockdown. These are the Acute Medical Ward, Acute Surgical Ward, Beqa Ward, and ANZ Ward.”

Chief Medical Advisor, Dr Jemesa Tudravu, says they are currently doing their investigation of the CWM cases.

“That will cover some 70 plus staff and more than 500 patients who are currently admitted at the hospital. So again tonight for laboring mom, if you need to come to CWM hospital you will come through the normal access that you always come through”.

The Ministry adds that Emergency Department is also functioning and inpatient pediatrics and obstetrics services will continue.

The Permanent Secretary for Health also says that the data from the overnight testing will determine how the existing contingency plans will be reviewed and what further measures will be implemented.