16 new COVID-19 deaths have been reported from the period 28th December 2021 to 20th January 2022.
Permanent Secretary for Health Dr James Fong says 12 of the deaths reported were in the Northern Division, with 2 in Central, and 2 in the West.
Dr Fong says all were at higher risk of severe disease due to their ages or underlying medical conditions.
He further says 14 of the people who died were not vaccinated, while 2 were fully vaccinated.
Dr Fong adds the Northern Division deaths from December 2021 to mid-January 2022 were reported yesterday due to a delay in the issuance of Medical Cause of Death Certificates.
The first COVID-19 death to report is of a 63-year-old female from the Northern Division who died at home on 28/12/2022. She had pre-existing medical conditions and was not vaccinated.
The second COVID-19 death to report is of a 52-year-old male from the Northern Division who was admitted at Labasa Hospital on 10/01/22. He had pre-existing medical conditions and died on 11/01/2022 due to COVID-19 complications. He was fully vaccinated.
The third COVID-19 death to report is of a 71-year-old male from the Northern Division who died at home on 12/01/2022. He was not vaccinated.
The fourth COVID-19 death to report is of a 73-year-old male from the Northern Division who died at home on 12/01/2022. He was not vaccinated.
The fifth COVID-19 death to report is of a 71-year-old male from the Northern Division who died at home on 13/01/2022. He was not vaccinated.
The sixth COVID-19 death to report is of an 83-year-old male from the Northern Division who died at home on 13/01/2022. He was not vaccinated.
The seventh COVID-19 death to report is of a 63-year-old female from the Northern Division who died at home on 13/01/2022. She was not vaccinated.
The eighth COVID-19 death to report is of a 73-year-old male from the Northern Division who died on arrival at Labasa Hospital on 14/01/2022. He had multiple pre-existing medical conditions and was not vaccinated.
The ninth COVID-19 death to report is of a 58-year-old male from the Northern Division who died on arrival at Labasa Hospital on 16/01/2022. He was not vaccinated.
The tenth COVID-19 death to report is of a 67-year-old male from the Northern Division who died at home on 17/01/2022. He was not vaccinated.
The eleventh COVID-19 death to report is of an 82-year-old male from the Central Division who died at home on 18/01/2022. He was not vaccinated.
The twelfth COVID-19 death to report is of a 71-year-old male from the Central Division who died at home on 19/01/2022. He was not vaccinated.
The thirteenth COVID-19 death to report is of a 57-year-old male from the Western Division who died on arrival at Lautoka Hospital Emergency on 19/01/2022. He had significant pre-existing medical conditions and was fully vaccinated.
The fourteenth COVID-19 death to report is of a 71-year-old male from the Western Division who died at home on 19/01/2022. He had a significant pre-existing medical condition and was not vaccinated.
The fifteenth COVID-19 death to report is of an 81-year-old male from the Northern Division who died on arrival at Labasa Hospital on 19/01/2022. He had multiple pre-existing medical conditions and was not vaccinated.
The sixteenth COVID-19 death to report is of an 83-year-old male from the Northern Division who died at home on 20/01/2022. He was not vaccinated.
Fiji has recorded 349 new cases of COVID-19 of which 130 new cases were recorded on Thursday and 219 new cases in the last 24 hours ending at 8 am yesterday.
Permanent Secretary for Health Dr James Fong says as we go through the current wave of COVID-19, Fijians need to adopt practices that build resilience.
Dr Fong says we know that there remains a high risk of resurgence of endemic variants and the arrival of new variants.
He further says our socioeconomic survival depends on our ability to build and sustain individual and community-wide resilience adding that we should expect that COVID-19 will be endemic, however, we need to appreciate that “endemic” doesn’t mean harmless.
Dr Fong highlighted that endemic means that we expect continued circulation of the disease in the community although at this stage it is too early to determine our expected baseline levels.
He also says Leptospirosis, Typhoid, and Dengue are endemic in Fiji and they are associated with serious outcomes, especially when cases increase above expected levels and result in an epidemic (outbreak).
Dr Fong adds building resilience demands that we adopt healthier lifestyles, make COVID safe behavior a habit that we adopt and support others to adopt, mainstream medical and community-wide oversight over vulnerable persons such that we support those at risk to have timely access to health care, build up community surveillance mechanisms that depend on both medical and non-medical data sources to inform us early of impending epidemics or outbreaks.
He further says our objective is to live with the virus and at the same time ensure a high level of transmission suppression and prevention of severe outcomes. Endemic diseases need constant suppression until their consequences are as low as the usual flu viruses.
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194 COVID patients are currently admitted in hospital.
The Health Ministry says none are in critical or severe condition.
88 are in the Central Division, 70 in the Western and 36 in the Northern Division.
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