COVID-19 Fiji: Deployment of officials to Kadavu to assist with response

A team of officials, numbering more than 50, including medical personnel, left Suva this morning for Kadavu to assist with the COVID-19 response on the island as indications on the ground show community transmission with case numbers expected to grow so too risk of severe disease and death.

There are 135 cases in Kadavu spread across three villages stemming from its index case in Rakiraki village a week ago.

Permanent Secretary Health Dr James Fond said they are “clear evidence” of community transmission on the island, and expectations are that numbers will “escalate together with risks of severe disease and death”.

He expressed similar concerns about the situation on Malolo Island where six new cases were recorded and the Yasawas where a 94-year-old woman of Somosomo village on Naviti Island reportedly died at home on Monday, this week, suggesting “there is transmission occurring on the island.”

“Investigations are underway into how this person became infected, and the Ministry’s response team in the West are conducting contact tracing and testing of contacts to identify more cases on the island. More information will be provided to the public as investigations progress.”

Similar work is being done Malolo Island taking the total active cases to 23.

A medical team from Lautoka travelled to Malolo Island yesterday to assist the onsite medical team with the necessary response, including isolation of cases, contact tracing, and quarantine of contacts.

The six new cases on Malolo and the death in the Yasawas were part of 423 new coronavirus infections and nine deaths respectively recorded for the 24-hour period that ended at 8 am yesterday.

There have been 230 new recoveries reported since the last update, which means that there are now 19,280 active cases. Of these, 9,568 active are in the central division, 9,573 in the western division, four cases in the northern division (Nabouwalu and Macuata) and 135 active cases in the Eastern Division (all in Kadavu).

There have been 45,098 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021. We have recorded a total of 45,168 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 25,138 recoveries.

DEATHS (19 – 25 August)

Of the total deaths, one was recorded in the central division and eight occurred in the West.

• COVID-19 Deaths
  • 19 August
    • Female, 75, Lautoka
      • Unvaccinated
  • 20 August
    • Female, 75, Sigatoka
      • Partially vaccinated, having received her first dose in mid-July
      • She presented to the Sigatoka Hospital in severe respiratory distress. She died on the same day.
  • 23 August
    • Female, 94, Somosomo, Yasawa
      • Unvaccinated
      • Died at home
    • Female, 71, Lautoka
      • Unvaccinated
      • Died at home
• • 24 August
    • Female, 84, Ba
      • Unvaccinated
      • Presented to the Ba Mission Hospital. She died the same day.
  • 25 August
    • Female, 80, Nadi
      • Partially vaccinated, having received her first dose in early April
      • Died at home
    • Female, 55, Naitasiri
      • Partially vaccinated, having received her first dose in July
      • Died at home
    • Male, 59, Tavua
      • Partially vaccinated, having received his first dose in late July
      • Presented to Tavua Hospital in severe respiratory distress, then Lautoka Hospital where he died the same day.
    • Female, 65, Rakiraki
      • Unvaccinated
      • Presented to Rakiraki Hospital in severe respiratory distress. She died the same day.
• • With today’s newly reported deaths, there have now been 468 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 466 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year. As of 21 August, the national 7-day rolling average of COVID-19 deaths per day is seven. The 7-day rolling average for COVID-19 deaths per day in the central division is three and in the western division is four.

• Non-COVID Deaths
  • Eleven (11) more deaths of COVID-19 positive patients. However, these deaths have been classified as non-COVID deaths by their doctors. Doctors have determined that their deaths were caused by serious pre-existing medical conditions and not COVID-19.
  • The total number of COVID-19 positive patients who have died but linked to other causes stands at 282.

Photo: Officials at the Suva Wharf bound for Kadavu. Courtesy of: Ministry of Health