Fiji has announced another new 35 new cases of COVID-19 overnight.
After the discovery of the new cases, parts of the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva and the Nadi Hospital are now on lockdown.
Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong, said five cases are from the Navosai Narere cluster outside Suva , one from Waila in Nausori, one from Nawaka in Nadi and two are from the CWM hospital.
Doctor Fong said in addition to the Nadi hospital worker, a further investigation has also revealed that a case announced over the weekend from the Nawaka cluster, who was discovered as part of screening and contact tracing in that area, had given birth and had been discharged from the hospital a week ago.
“Furthermore, another previously announced positive case had spent significant time as a visitor in the hospital just prior to being positive. All staff and patients currently in the hospital are being tested. In response to these cases, the Nadi hospital will be locked down, and services will be relocated.”
The PS adds as stated two of the new cases of COVID-19 have been detected at the CWM Hospital in Suva.
The first detected case is a patient from Labasa who was admitted at CWM six weeks ago.
She was swabbed as part of the exit protocol before her scheduled transfer to Labasa Hospital.
It is suspected that she caught the virus from either another patient, visitor, or staff during her admission at CWM Hospital.
Dr Fong said as an early part of the response to the outbreak in Central Division – frontline health staff had been removed from their places of residence and housed in bubbles in accommodation facilities across Suva.
He highlighted that these staff have been separated from their families for weeks on end in order to safeguard our essential health services.
He said the nurse had been working within a bubble and was housed at the Holiday Inn.
Doctor Fong said all patients, their carers, and all staff at CWM will now be swabbed and tested in order to gauge the extent of any spread within the hospital.
Emergency services will continue at CWM.
Dr Fong said the data from overnight testing will determine how the existing contingency plans will be reviewed and what further measures will be implemented.
Photo Caption: Nadi Hospital. Source: FBC News