Indra Singh
Suva, Fiji, May 6, 2021
There are four new cases of Covid-19 in Fiji tonight, including a nurse from Raiwaqa Health Centre and her husband, who both tested positive with no source point identified as yet.
The 47-year-old nurse was swabbed after she reported a slight cough. After her positive result registered today, the Raiwaqa Health Centre is now closed to the public.
Contact Tracing launched
A contact tracing investigation has been launched, all relevant personnel and patients are being quarantined, with her household contacts have also been swabbed.
Health Ministry Permanent Secretary Dr James Fong said that the next local case is a 25-year-old nurse working within Lautoka Hospital.
“This nurse was sequestered within the hospital last night along with the rest of the hospital’s personnel and patients. Since her positive test results she has since been entered into isolation. Investigations are ongoing into how she might have caught the virus,” he said.
Dr Fong said that their testing has ruled out a breach of the Lautoka Hospital Isolation Ward after all staff have returned negative Covid-19 test results.
Fears of community outbreak
“This is a reassuring affirmation of the operational protocols for our Covid isolation ward, which must be maintained as the most secure facilities in the country. But that is where the good news ends, because this indicates that the community is the most likely source of the Lautoka Hospital outbreak.”
The fourth is a border quarantine case, a Tongan national who arrived from Guyana on his way to Tonga on April 22, 2021. This was the last inbound passenger flight (FJ 1410) from Auckland before flights were halted.
He is a travelling partner of a previously announced border quarantine case (Case 115).
Covid-19 in numbers
There are now 42 active cases in isolation, nine in border quarantine, 29 locally transmitted cases, and four under investigation for their sources, including the deceased, one from Ra, one doctor from Lautoka Hospital and the nurse who tested positive today.
The Ministry has restricted visiting hours at all hospitals and health centres in Fiji to limit mixing between patients, medical personnel, and the public.
The Fiji Emergency Medical Assistance Team (FEMAT) has been activated and government medical carrier vessel, the MV Veivueti, has been dispatched to Lautoka to support healthcare management strategy within the Lautoka Containment Area.
Measures to control spread
The Ministry is setting up a 150-bed Non-Covid Field Hospital in Lautoka. The plan is have this open in 48 hours to handle patients with illnesses that can be treated on a 21-day timeline. Extending from that field hospital will be clear patient care flow pathways that allow for patients to be securely moved to other hospitals and healthcare facilities if necessary. The Ministry will also manage staffing within the field hospital in response to patient demand.
The Field hospital will enforce strict Covid screening and security to ensure it is a Covid-free facility, while the Lautoka Hospital remains exclusively a COVID care facility.
Government to pay GPs
Dr Fong said that he has been discussing with private general practitioners in the Nadi-Lautoka-Ba area to open their clinics to poor Fijians.
“Under these soon-to-be finalised arrangements, patients who normally go to public hospitals and health centres can access non-Covid treatment or consultations at private clinics in Nadi, Lautoka, and Ba. The government will directly pay the private practitioners for the treatment and consultations provided for such people. This is an opportunity for us to bring the public and private sector together at a time of urgent need for our people,” he said.
Contingency Plans
Dr Fong said that contingency plans have been developed for a range of scenarios, including the need to expand capacity in the event of additional community cases inside and outside of Lautoka, a severe weather event, or a Covid-leak in the field hospital.
“This is the first major operation for FEMAT in response to a national disaster, our teams are ready to show the nation what they can do,” he said.
Businesses closed
The Ministry has announced that as of now all non-essential businesses outside the containment areas cannot open, saying that it is not worth the risk as the virus spreads.
Nationwide, supermarkets, shops, banks, pharmacies, and other essential industries as previously announced, are the only businesses that should open.
“The costs of this outbreak are already unacceptably high, and I cannot stress enough how important early, preventive action is to stop those costs from rising further. Early diagnosis of the virus can increase survivability. Early society-wide prevention measures can decrease widespread transmission,” Dr Fong said.
The above Report of Fiji Broadcasting Corporation has been published under a Special Agreement.
