A record number of daily COVID-19 cases has been announced as the Health Ministry confirms there are 83 new cases.
Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong says the majority of these cases are from known clusters or areas already under containment or lockdown protocols, including in Waila, CWM Hospital, the Incident Management Team at the Health Ministry Headquarters, the IMT Warehouse in Lami, Caubati, Navy, Samabula, Shop N Save Supermarket, Nawaka Nadi, and Navosai.
Doctor Fong says the cluster of greatest concern is at CWM Hospital where their medical teams are going to great lengths to provide critical treatment without exposing themselves and their patients to the virus.
He says in Lautoka, they cordoned off the hospital as a COVID-care facility and deployed a field hospital to handle non-COVID care.
They will be replicating the success of that model at CWM Hospital.
Doctor Fong says the CWM Hospital will become a full-time COVID-care facility with tightly controlled movement into the hospital.
Access to Laboratory, Maternity and Paediatric Units will be through escalated screening protocols and package decontamination protocols.
He says a field hospital for the treatment of non-COVID patients in the vicinity of the CWM Hospital is being established in conjunction with Fiji's partners from Australia.
Meanwhile, new clusters have been reported in Naitasiri.
Doctor Fong says there are 2 cases from Matasinasau Village in Naitasiri, one of whom was recently discharged from CWM Hospital and one case who had moved to Tavua Village by the time the results were known.
1 case is from Laselevu, 1 case in the Savusavu settlement and 1 case is from Vuisiga Village, Vunidawa.
Doctor Fong says the Naitasiri Containment Response Team have also had to stand down due to exposure to a positive case.
One case has been confirmed in Tavua in a traveller who recently arrived from Lautoka.
In total, 11 of the 83 cases are of unknown origin and will be classified as cases of community transmission until proven otherwise.
The Ministry of Health and Medical Services has confirmed services from the headquarters of the Ministry in Toorak will resume from today.
The public is assured that Dinem and Namosi House have both been thoroughly decontaminated and therefore safe to enter.
The Ministry is implementing stringent COVID safety measures which will include some staff based at the two buildings to work from home.
Some of the staff will report to work at the two buildings and will strictly adhere to COVID-19 protocols.
Members of the public are advised that entrance to the two buildings is strictly for essential business only and visitors to both buildings will be subject to strict COVID safety measures.
After the declaration of the Health Headquarters in Suva as a site of interest, owing to the COVID-19 positive cases from the Incident Management Team, Dinem House and the adjacent Namosi House along Amy Street, Toorak were closed from Friday 4th June 2021.
The Ministry says the closure of the two buildings was to allow for a thorough decontamination process.
During this period of the closure of Health Headquarters, the Health Ministry says it acknowledges the hardworking doctors, nurses and other health staff around the divisions and at the sub-divisional level for their hard work and dedication to ensure health services were delivered to the public.
Minister, Doctor Ifereimi Waqainabete and the staff of the Ministry of Health and Medical Services also thank the public for their understanding and messages of support and encouragement during this period.
Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong says in the course of contact tracing investigations, it’s been found that a funeral was held recently in Mulomulo Village, Nadi with nearly 100 people in attendance.
The entire community has since been locked down.
He says that reckless gathering could potentially result in another super-spreader event.
Doctor Fong says the rule is simple: only ten people are allowed to attend a funeral.
That applies before, during and after the funeral.
He says if we don’t respect those rules, we will sadly have more of our loved ones to bury due to the loss of life that can result from COVID-19.
Doctor Fong says the high number of cases confirmed signals a much larger proportion of cases in the community.
He says expect more days of high numbers of confirmed cases.
Doctor Fong says they sadly expect more hospitalisations as more severe cases of the disease develop but thanks to the massive step-up in the pace of the testing, we can continue to fight this virus in a targeted way, a way that allows Fijians to access essential services and allows the economy to function as normally and safely as possible.
Doctor Fong says Fiji is now testing at the highest rate in Oceania.
He says we have never been more equipped than today to confront an outbreak, and we should take faith in our constantly strengthening capacity against this invisible enemy but we know the front of this battle extends everywhere and to everyone.
Doctor Fong says this will ultimately be won by all of us through the decisions we all make every day.
He says we cannot wait for more record-breaking days of case numbers for all Fijians to take the health measures seriously.
Meanwhile 50,000 additional doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, AstraZeneca will be arriving into the country this week from Australia.
Doctor Fong says they have administered 206,658 first doses and 4,599 second doses nationwide so far.
From Monday to Friday, the Ministry administered 70,693 first doses and 482 second doses.
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