Fiji confirms two new COVID-19 cases

Fiji has recorded another two new COVID-19 cases today.

The virus is now believed to have spread to many places on the main island, after one of the latest cases was reported to be a 54-year-old man, who is a care taker of the Ra Provincial Office on north- western Viti Levu.

 There is no clear indication of how he may have gotten the virus.

Health officials are conducting contact tracing and tests to see if he is linked with any of the recent cases.

He had showed symptoms such a body aches when he visited the Nanukuloa Health Centre on 24 April and is now in the isolation ward at Lautoka Hospital. 

All his families have been swabbed and quarantined at the Ra Special School and being guarded by Police officers.

Health Permanent Secretary, Doctor James Fong, says there could be others in the Rakiraki area who could have been in contact with the man and they are being told to be on the lookout of any COVID-19 symptoms.

The second case is a 25-year-old man who had stayed at the Makoi house of the soldier and his wife, who were also positive. The man and his primary contacts are now in quarantine in Colo-i-Suva about 11km outside the capital Suva.

He was picked up as part of contact tracing.

The man stayed in Makoi from April 12-19, after which he went to Vunimono, Nausori, and was retrieved and swabbed.

Doctor Fong says there are now four teams, which are undertaking contact tracing, based on the travel history of the man.

Fiji now has 44 active cases of five are older border quarantine cases.

13 are recent quarantine cases and 25 locally transmitted cases.

One case is under investigation into how he got infected.