Fiji clocks up 404 new cases

Opposition slams government’s ‘meek surrender’ to Covid

Fiji has recorded another 404 new cases of Covid-19 — and five deaths in the latest 24-hour period. Most of the new cases are from the western and central division where the capital Suva is located, according to the Health Ministry.

Of the five deaths, one was certified to have been caused by Covid19, one caused by other illnesses while three are being investigated.

One of those who died was a 72-year-old woman from Kinoya, near Suva, who was presented to the Fiji Emergency Medical Assistance Team field hospital with severe respiratory distress.

“She had been sick at home with cough, fever and shortness of breath for at least five days before coming to the hospital. She died at the hospital that same day. She was not vaccinated,” Secretary for Health Dr James Fong said.

Twenty-five people have died from Covid-19 in Fiji since March 2020, 23 of them since May 5, while 12 other Covid-positive patients had died from other conditions.

There are now 4243 active cases in isolation; 5183 cases since the Deltavariant outbreak started in April 2021.

Fong said a full breakdown of areas of interest has been published online.

Opposition slams strategy

The government has “completely lost the plot and meekly surrendered its innocent citizens to the throes of a deadly pandemic”, the opposition National Federation Party leader Biman Prasad said.

In a statement, he said two ministries — Health and Trade — have contradicted each other in terms of the government’s mitigation strategy to tackle the virus.

Prasad, who is a professor in economics, said Fong has emphasised the need for people to stay at home and only move around for essential services like purchasing food, medicine, seeking medical treatment or exercise.

“But the Trade Minister Faiyaz Koya has revealed they are looking at reopening not only retail businesses but allowing restaurants, food courts and gymnasiums to be fully operational under ‘Covid-safe’ measures,” the NFP leader said.

“This is the height of incompetency in a government whose leader has said in Parliament that ‘nobody gives a damn’ when asked by NFP parliamentarians to reset their moral compass and show leadership.”

Positivity rate up

Meanwhile, the country’s daily test positivity rate is now at 9.5 per cent and continues on an upward trend.

However, Fong said the ministry’s vaccination campaign continues to gain ground with 309,293 adults (53 per cent) now inoculated with the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine and 49,876 have received their second doses.

“The ministry repeats its advice that Fijians take the necessary steps to protect themselves until an adequate number of people are protected through vaccination.

Meanwhile in Samoa, the Government has tightened restrictions on people entering the country.

The Ministry of Health requires intending travellers to get in touch 21 days before their planned trip, to be fully vaccinated at least two weeks before travel and to produce legitimate vaccination certificates.

A blood serology test will need to be completed within seven days of departure, while a negative Covid-19 test is required three days out. All arriving passengers are to go into quarantine of up to 14 days. —RNZ