93% of the target population have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine and 41.1% are now fully vaccinated

545,459 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the COVID vaccine and 241,027 have received their second doses.

This means that 93% of the target population have received at least one dose and 41.1% are now fully vaccinated nationwide.

Meanwhile Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong says the 7-day average of new cases per day is 473 cases per day or 535 cases per million population per day.

He says they have noted a drop in cases reported per day recently. However, the daily testing numbers have also been dropping around the same time, due to the change in testing policy in Suva-Nausori.

Since July 21st, only persons that have a higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 are being targeted for testing in Suva-Nausori.

This was done so that resources could be targeted to early detection, monitoring and care of persons with COVID-19 who are at higher risk of severe disease, to prevent more people succumbing to severe disease and death.

Doctor Fong says they will be transitioning to community surveillance testing as severe disease numbers and positivity rates approach the containment phase levels.

He says they are likely seeing the effect of this testing policy change now in Suva-Nausori with the drop in daily reported cases.

Doctor Fong says this does not mean that the outbreak is on a downward trend in the Suva-Nausori community.

As previously announced by the Permanent Secretary, daily case numbers in Suva-Nausori are currently not being used as an indicator to monitor the progress of the outbreak in Suva-Nausori.

The Ministry is closely monitoring other indicators such as test positivity, hospitalisations and deaths to track the progress of the outbreak in Suva-Nausori.

They are seeing increasing cases reported in the Western Division with evidence of widespread community transmission in the division.

The Northern Division has one active case, with all contacts in quarantine so far testing negative, and swabbing results from within the containment area, and nearby communities also returning negative.

Doctor Fong says the situation in Kadavu in the Eastern Division continues to remain a concern.