Fiji has confirmed another seven positive cases of COVID-19 after another 1349 tests, said Permanent Secretary for Health and Medical Services Dr James Fong.

The particulars of all, who are local transmission cases are below:

• A 30-year-old woman from Field 40 Lautoka came to the Kamikamica Health Centre with severe COVID-19 symptoms, she was sick for three weeks. She was admitted to the Lautoka Hospital Isolation Unit and the members of her household quarantined. Dr Fong said this patient had some contact with medical officers and nurses within the health centre causing its temporary closure. He said exposure among our clinical staff was not as extensive and the health centre would re-open to the public following a thorough decontamination exercise.
• The second case is a 20-year-old woman who came to the Makoi Screening Clinic with COVID symptoms.

“Investigations have revealed that she had contact with the household of the Makoi family cluster, but was not identified as a contact at the time. She has been entered into isolation along with her household members.

• Three of her household members have since tested positive for the virus.,” he said.
• “The sixth case is a 26-year-old male, and is the husband of a previously announced local case (case 75) from Kerebula, Nadi . He has been in a border quarantine facility in Nadi since April 18 and poses no transmission risk to the public.”
• A 35-year-old male from Saru, Lautoka is the seventh case. He was screened at Natabua Health Centre. He and his household contacts are being taken into isolation.

Dr Fong said the recent cases from Lautoka and Suva were troubling, pointing to wider transmission in these areas.

“In response, we have to widen our approach, and we have taken some important steps to enlist the private sector as part of a whole-of-society containment effort,” he said.

“To increase quarantine quality and capacity, we will be using several of Suva’s hotels and motels as quarantine centeres for primary contacts of new cases.”

Edited by Ranoba Baoa 

Feedback: shalveen.chand@fijisun.com.fj