Fiji is at the early stages of experiencing a hike in positive cases of COVID-19.

Permanent Secretary for Health Dr James Fong says some of the latest cases were engaged in super spreader activities like grog sessions and sharing of cigarettes.

“These last cases and existing unknown point to the widespread transmission in the communities we believe can be an early part of a fast-rising upward curve in case numbers.”

Dr Fong says the Ministry is not taking any chances given the extensive exposure to the public of a patient from the Makoi cluster.

“The case from our Makoi cluster that traveled to Vunimono is also of high concern because of his extensive travel history since April 14th when he was first exposed. That’s over 2 weeks of moving around Viti Levu. So our contact tracing team is working in overdrive mode to determine and contact everyone he had an encounter with and those to whom he is a risk. We hope that the risk of transmission was lessened by the fact that he at no point over the last 2 weeks displayed COVID symptoms. But hope is not a strategy. Because he was engaging in higher-risk activities like drinking grog, sharing cigarettes with friends and family, others may well have been exposed to the virus. We simply cannot take any chances.”

Dr.Fong says that complete strict lockdown measures will be determined today.