Fiji Sun

Seven new COVID-19 patients

- SHALVEEN CHAND SUVA Edited by Ranoba Baoa

Fiji has confirmed another seven positive cases of COVID-19 after another 1349 tests, said Permanent Secretary for Health and Medical Services Dr James Fong.

The particular­s of all, who are local transmissi­on cases are below: ■ A 30-year-old woman from Field 40 Lautoka came to the Kamikamica Health Centre with severe COVID-19 symptoms, she was sick for three weeks. She was admitted to the Lautoka Hospital Isolation Unit and the members of her household quarantine­d. Dr Fong said this patient had some contact with medical officers and nurses within the health centre causing its temporary closure. He said exposure among our clinical staff was not as extensive and the health centre would re-open to the public following a thorough decontamin­ation exercise.

■ The second case is a 20-yearold woman who came to the Makoi Screening Clinic with COVID symptoms.

“Investigat­ions have revealed that she had contact with the household of the Makoi family cluster, but was not identified as a contact at the time. She has been entered into isolation along with her household members.

■ Three of her household members have since tested positive for the virus.,” he said.

■ “The sixth case is a 26-yearold male, and is the husband of a previously announced local case (case 75) from Kerebula, Nadi . He has been in a border quarantine facility in Nadi since April 18 and poses no transmissi­on risk to the public.”

■ A 35-year-old male from Saru, Lautoka is the seventh case. He was screened at Natabua Health Centre. He and his household contacts are being taken into isolation.

Dr Fong said the recent cases from Lautoka and Suva were troubling, pointing to wider transmissi­on in these areas.

“In response, we have to widen our approach, and we have taken some important steps to enlist the private sector as part of a wholeof-society containmen­t effort,” he said.

“To increase quarantine quality and capacity, we will be using several of Suva’s hotels and motels as quarantine centeres for primary contacts of new cases.”

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