Fiji Covid Update: 15 Deaths and 262 New Cases

June 27, 2021

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FB_IMG_1624777450838 — Fijians line up for Covid-19 vaccination. 📷 Fiji Ministry of Health and Medical Services.

New Covid-19 positive cases for Fiji continues to increase as health authorities report another 262 cases from 8am Saturday to 8am Sunday bringing the total of active cases in isolation to 2,838.

There have been 13 deaths reported in this outbreak taking the country’s total to 15, however, each day, deaths of those tested Covid-19 positive are placed under investigation, with health authorities saying they may be from “pre existing health conditions”.

Permanent Secretary for Health James Fong confirmed two Covid-positive deaths are being investigated to determine if they were caused by the virus.

Of the 262 new cases registered over the past 24 hours, five are from the Nawakalevu Containment Zone in Nadi, three are linked to the cluster at Korovou Town in Tailevu – 119 kilometres north of the capital Suva.

The rest of the 254 cases are from the Lami-Suva-Nausori Containment Zone.

Fiji’s positivity rate is well over 5 percent, a rate which according to the World Health Organisation, means the epidemic is not under control.

James Fong said the remaining cases are contacts of known cases, “cases that were seen in screening clinics and were swabbed, and cases under investigation to determine possible sources of transmission”.

He said there have been 3521 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021, noting that 70 were registered during the March 2020 outbreak.

“We have recorded a total of 3591 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 753 recoveries.”

The Delta variant continues to spread fast in the country, and the Colonial War Memorial (CWM) hospital has been on lockdown since early June.

A further eight Covid-positive patients have died in the country’s main hospital – but have been registered as having died from pre-existing non-Covid related illnesses.

“The seven-day average of new cases per day has increased to 234 cases or 264 cases per million population per day,” Dr Fong said.

“Our daily testing numbers have remained at a high level, and yet our test positivity continues to increase.

“All the evidence is that there is widespread community transmission in the Lami-Suva-Nausori containment zone.

“This means the outbreak is not confined to specific areas and everyone should take the necessary precautions and prevent themselves and their loved ones from getting infected.”

Fijian health authorities continue to warn the public to “stay home as much as possible” and are urging them to wear a mask as well as “to download and activate the Covid-19 contact tracing app if they must leave the house”.