COVID-19

The Ministry of Health confirmed that two of the victims were unvaccinated while the third had received one dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Three more people, who tested positive to the virus, died but their deaths have been classified as non-COVID-19 related and caused by serious pre-existing medical conditions, instead.

Permanent Secretary, Dr James Fong said a 61-year-old man from Qauia Village in Lami near the capital Suva was brought to the Colonial War Memorial Hospital's emergency department in severe respiratory distress.

The death toll in a day has also risen to six.

The youngest deceased is a 43-year old woman and the others are aged between 60 and 80.

According to the Ministry of Health, three people were not vaccinated and the remaining three had received their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

There have now been 39 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 37 of these deaths during the outbreak that started in April this year.

All the South Africa players are self isolating after close contact with De Jager and will remain cloistered in their hotel rooms until a new round of tests are conducted, SA Rugby said.

The second such incident in a week in the Springbok camp could force a cancellation of the second test, scheduled for Johannesburg's Ellis Park on Friday.

Ministry of Health’s Permanent Secretary, Dr James Fong said five of the new cases are contacts of cases who are undergoing 14 days of quarantine in facilities in Nadi, adding that the rest of the cases are from the Suva-Nausori containment zone.

Dr Fong said the first death from COVID-19 is a 66-year-old woman from Valelevu who was declared dead on arrival by doctors at the emergency department at CWM Hospital.

He further clarified that this means the woman died at home or on the way to hospital.

Ministry of Health’s Permanent Secretary Doctor James Fong said the new cases are mainly from the Central and Western Divisions.

There are two cases that have been identified at the Malau Quarantine Facility in Labasa.

Doctor Fong said these two cases are noted to be repatriates from the Central Division and are in quarantine.

The Ministry of Health said there have also been five deaths of COVID-19 positive patients since the last update.

The premier said it was "a cause for concern" that half of the new cases had been out in the community while infectious.

"If we want the lockdown to succeed, all of us have to minimise our movements," she said.

"In too many examples we are seeing workers who are leaving the house with symptoms or going to work with symptoms.

"Then inadvertently as they are going about shopping or other activity, they are passing it onto others."

Ministry of Health’s Permanent Secretary, Doctor James Fong said the first death is a case that was previously announced as under investigation to determine if COVID-19 was the cause.

The deceased is an 82-year-old woman from Qauia in Lami and was not vaccinated.

She had pre-existing medical conditions, was bedridden, and died at home.

According to protocol she was swabbed and tested positive for COVID-19.

The elderly woman was declared dead by the attending medical officer and after investigation, it has been determined that the cause of death was COVID-19.

The Ministry of Health has confirmed that five cases are corrections officers from Suva at the Fiji Sugar Corporation Compound in Rakiraki in the north of the main island of Viti Levu.

Permanent Secretary, Doctor James Fong said they were undergoing 14 days quarantine at the FSC compound as part of the essential movement from the red zone to the green zone when they tested positive.

The remaining cases are from the Lami-Suva-Nausori containment zone.

The Springboks squad had been isolating after three of their players tested positive for Covid-19.

They say they will "immediately resume" preparations for warm-up games against Georgia after feedback from the Medical Advisory Group of the Lions tour.

The Lions tour will start on 24 July with the sides playing three Test matches.

Scrum-half Herschel Jantjies, prop Vincent Koch and wing S'bu Nkosi were named as the three players who had tested positive.

An outbreak in Sydney linked to the highly contagious Delta variant has grown to 128 cases.

Cases have also been recorded in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia.

Officials say it is a "critical time". Australia has kept case numbers low with border closures and lockdowns.

Reports say the emergency meeting considered measures such as mandatory vaccinations for care home workers and new quarantine rules.

This is the first time in months that cases have emerged in multiple parts of the country at the same time.