Six deaths were reported by the Ministry of Health yesterday.

All of these individuals were infected with COVID-19.

However, the Ministry of Health says that only three died from COVID-19, and doctors have determined that the deaths of the other three were from serious pre-existing medical conditions.

Permanent Secretary for Health Doctor James Fong says daily case numbers are expected to continue to increase, along with an increase in people with COVID-19 requiring hospitalization, and sadly, more deaths.

The first COVID-19 death is a 61-year-old man from Qauia Village, Lami.

He was brought to the CWMH Emergency Department in severe respiratory distress. He had been experiencing severe COVID-19 symptoms, including shortness of breath, for two weeks.

He died one day later. He was not vaccinated.

The second COVID-19 death is a 75-year-old man from Raiwaqa.

He was declared dead on arrival by the attending medical officer at the CWMH Hospital Emergency Department. This means that he died at home or on his way to the hospital. His family reported that been unwell, with symptoms including fever and generalized weakness, for at least 5 days at home. He was not vaccinated.

The third COVID-19 death is a 67-year-old man from Toorak.

A Ministry response team attended to him at home and transferred him to the CWM Hospital after he reported having symptoms of COVID-19 at home for approximately a week.

His condition worsened in hospital and he died 11 days after admission. He received his first dose of the vaccine in mid-June. But had not received the second dose of the vaccine and was not fully vaccinated.

There have now been 42 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 40 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. We also have recorded 19 COVID-19 positive patients who died from the serious medical conditions that they had before they contracted COVID-19.