COVID-19

Workers rights advocates and legal experts believe it is unconstitutional for Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama to give workers an ultimatum to get the vaccine or lose their jobs.

There are now more than 9000 active cases in isolation -and 56 deaths linked to the current outbreak that started in April.

Workers rights advocates and legal experts in Fiji have labelled the government's Covid-19 response as being "more of a fire brigade approach" and that it is not in control in the fight against the deadly virus.

American broadcaster ESPN linked Parker to the Covid outbreak in the Tyson Fury camp that has delayed the British star’s trilogy fight with Deontay Wilder.

Parker has been training with Fury in Las Vegas and told Stuff at the time of the report that he was “keeping healthy and safe” and that his family who are with him in Las Vegas were “all good too”.

Cases have increased compared to the 485 cases and three deaths in the previous 24-hour period.

The Health Ministry announced that all three patients were unvaccinated.

Ministry of Health’s Permanent Secretary, Dr James Fong said five other people who tested positive for COVID-19 had died but their deaths have been attributed to "serious pre-existing medical conditions and not COVID-19."

Fiji has 9310 active cases in isolation. There have been 58 deaths reported, 56 of them are from the latest outbreak that began in April.

Dan du Preez, Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi, Scarra Ntubeni and Makazole Mapimpi, plus three of the management team, have also tested positive for coronavirus.

It takes the total number of cases to more than 20 in the Springbok camp.

However, a "large group" of South Africa players will return to training on Sunday after six days of isolation.

The three-Test series against the touring Lions takes place on consecutive weekends from 24 July.

Thirty-three of the cases have been out in the community while infectious.

NSW Health confirmed a woman in her 90s from south west Sydney died yesterday at Liverpool Hospital.

It is the first COVID death in NSW since December 2020.

She was a close contact of a locally acquired case and was tested for COVID-19 on Friday, returning a positive result early yesterday morning.

Health Secretary James Fong says the 55-year-old woman from Nabua was attended to by a ministry response team at a medical facility.

The woman was transferred to the Colonial War Memorial Hospital after she reported having severe symptoms of COVID-19.

"Her condition worsened in hospital and she died two days after admission. She was not vaccinated," Dr Fong said.

He said there had been two more deaths of COVID positive patients.

The move marked a sharp turnaround from as recently as last week, when some officials were still insisting they could organise the Games safely with some fans.

It all but strips the global sporting showpiece, which is due to start on 23 July and run until 8 August, of its last vestiges of pomp and public spectacle.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said it was essential to prevent Tokyo, where the highly contagious Delta variant of COVID-19 variant was spreading, from becoming a flashpoint of new infections.

Of this total, around 11,500 groceries and essential packs have been given to people in targeted lockdown and home isolation.

Another round of household delivery packs was carried out yesterday (Wednesday).

The Ministry of Economy’s Data Entry Team together with the Police Force is continuing the electronic registration of household information.

The team is also registering the needs of the households that are going into isolation.

 The Minister of Education, Rosy Akbar said four schools were currently being used as isolation centres with other schools earmarked to be used by the Ministry of Health as quarantine facilities, emergency operation centres and accommodation for frontline workers.

“Since some of these schools need to meet the Health Ministry’s requirements, the Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and the Ministry of Infrastructure have identified improvements to these schools to meet those purposes,” she said according to a Fiji Times report.

The supplies will be shipped from Australia.

The Australian High Commission of Samoa said Australia has guaranteed to share up to 15 million COVID-19 vaccine doses with our closest partners in the Pacific and Timor-Leste by mid-2022.

“As a partner, neighbour and friend, Australia is committed to supporting regional resilience and laying the foundations for our region’s and Samoa’s economic recovery,” said Australian High Commissioner, Emily Luck.