The Ministry of Health is resetting its testing strategy, to focus on the six containment areas of Suva, Nausori, Lami, Nadi, Lautoka and Ra after close to 1500 tests carried out overnight returned seven positives, all of which local cases.
Permanent Secretary Health Dr James Fong said the increase in numbers in the community are worrisome and indicate widespread community transmission that required an urgent response.
Therefore, we will now be resetting our testing strategy to target our containment areas of Suva, Nausori, Lami, Nadi, and Lautoka and Ra – while areas outside of these zones will stop mass testing and revert to the testing protocol in place prior to the outbreak. We must use all our resources to take the fight to where we know the outbreak is happening. Now is a critical time,” Dr Fong said.
The first case, a 30-year-old woman, presented to the Kamikamica Health Center with severe COVID19 symptoms prompting the closure of the health centre to the public. The 30-year-old woman resided at Field four, Lautoka, and had been sick for three weeks before presenting herself to the Kamikamica Health Center. She was entered into Isolation at the Lautoka Hospital Isolation Unit and members of her household have been quarantined.
“The level of exposure among our clinical staff (at the Kamikamica Health Center) is not as extensive, as was the case for Lautoka Hospital. We expect the center to reopen to the public following a thorough decontamination exercise,” Dr Fong said.
The second case, a 20-year-old woman, tested positive after presenting to the Makoi screening clinic with Covid symptoms. Upon further investigations by Health Officials, it was revealed that the woman had contact with the household from the Makoi cluster but was not identified at the time of contact tracing.
“She has been entered into Isolation, along with her household members. Three (3) of her household members have since tested positive for the virus” said Dr. Fong.
The sixth case is a 26-year-old male. He had been in a quarantine facility in Nadi since April the 18th and does not pose any risk to the public. This patient is the Husband of case 75, a previously announced local case from Kerebula, Nadi.
The seventh case is a 35-year-old male from Saru, Lautoka, who presented to the Natabua Health Center with Covid symptoms. The 35-year-old and his household contacts have been taken into isolation.
Fiji now has 49 active cases in isolation, nine are boarder quarantine cases, 34 are local transmission, and six are under investigation.
