Majority of the people who have died from COVID-19 are iTaukei – Dr Wilson

The majority of the people who have unfortunately passed away because of COVID-19 in Fiji are iTaukei.

This was highlighted by the Fiji National University Associate Dean Research and Director of the Fiji Institute of Pacific Health Research Dr Donald Wilson, while speaking during FNU’s Explain the Science Session in the iTaukei language.

Dr Wilson says according to the data that he has collected so far and from the announcements that had been done of the COVID-19 cases and deaths as of Monday this week, he can confirm that 71 percent of the people that have died from COVID-19 are iTaukei.

He says the youngest Fijian that has died is a 24-year-old and the oldest is 92 years old.

Dr Wilson says majority of the people who are dying have not been vaccinated and this is a worrying trend for the iTaukei.

Meanwhile, the Minister for Rural and Maritime Development Inia Seruiratu says they are monitoring the number of COVID cases and deaths and they know that the high number of deaths are coming from heavily populated areas in the Central and Western Divisions.

Seruiratu says if a lot of people get vaccinated, this situation will not happen.

He says the 13 other provinces should follow the high vaccination rate in Ba and not listen to misinformation.

Ba’s vaccination rate is 91% for the first dose of AstraZeneca.

The Minister says he is confident that the rural areas are more prepared than the urban population as the Office of the Commissioners and all the Roko Tui had initiated a Risk Awareness Campaign for COVID-19 and the vaccine.

Seruiratu says it is difficult to do the same in urban areas because of the lack of structure in place.