COVID-19

Teenager is latest local transmission

April 24, 2021 4:34 pm

A new locally transmitted case of COVID-19 has been confirmed.

The latest case is the 14-year-old daughter of the hotel worker who was the central link of local transmissions in Fiji.

Permanent Secretary for Health Dr. James Fong says the young girl travelled with her mother to the funeral in Tavakubu on April 16th and April 17th.

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She had no symptoms and tested negative when she was taken into quarantine on Sunday April 18th and tested positive on day four of quarantine, indicating she was isolated before becoming infectious.

“Let me explain, we know this virus has an incubation period for up to 14 days. So the person would take up to 14 days to have enough virus in their body to either develop symptoms or trigger a positive result.”

There are now six locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 that can be traced back to the soldier who caught the virus while working in the border quarantine facility.

Dr Fong adds three of the local cases were not infectious while they were in the community.

“We know this because they had no symptoms at the time and were negative in the first test when they were entered into quarantine. It is only on their second test in quarantine that they tested positive”.

There are also 14 border quarantine cases of COVID-19 bringing the total to 20 active cases in isolation.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry’s restricted movement window is from 7 tonight until 4am Monday.

Businesses and pharmacies may open at their own discretion.

Dr. Fong is urging businesses to close ahead of 7 tonight and to allow their employees to head home.

During this period police will be asking and encouraging Fijians to return home if they are found out in public without any reason.

828 tests were conducted yesterday.

Screening and swab tests around Lautoka

Movement restrictions in Cunningham in Suva

LTA officers along Princes Road in Suva

The Suva bus stand