An estimated 1200 people who were at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital were tested overnight in response to two COVID-19 positive cases detected at the hospital yesterday.

The two CWM cases are a nurse and a patient from Labasa.

The cases were detected in different parts of the hospital.

Both women tested positive alongside 33 other cases that were announced yesterday.

In response to the two cases, Permanent Secretary for Health and Medical Services Dr James Fong said all patients at CWM, their carers, and all hospital staff were swabbed and tested to gauge the extent of the spread of the virus within the hospital.

“We are currently conducting evaluations to determine which areas within CWM need to be locked down and what services need to be curtailed, and we are establishing procedures to keep critical services functioning safely,” Dr Fong said.

“For the time being, all non-emergency outpatient services will cease including the special outpatients department. The wards of concern in the East and West Wings have been put on lockdown.

These are the Acute Medical Ward, Acute Surgical Ward, Beqa Ward, and ANZ Ward.”

Dr Fong said emergency services at CWM will continue as well as inpatient Paediatrics, obstetrics services, Maternity Ward and the Children’s wing.

However, access to these areas from other parts of the hospital have been closed.

He said the data from the overnight testing of the 1200 people would determine how the existing contingency plans would be reviewed and what further measures would be implemented.

CWM Cases
The Labasa patient had been admitted at CWM for six weeks before she tested positive as part of the exit protocol and before her scheduled transfer to Labasa Hospital.

The ministry suspects that she contracted COVID-19 either from another patient, a visitor or staff during her admission at CWM.

The second case, who is a nurse, developed symptoms and was swabbed and isolated.

She had been working within her bubble and was housed at the Holiday Inn.

The ministry has not established any links between the two cases or to any known cluster.

Nadi Hospital
Meanwhile, Nadi Hospital has been locked down and all services have been relocated after a hospital staff tested positive.

Furthermore, a discharged maternity patient and a previously announced positive case had spent significant time as a visitor in the hospital prior to testing positive.

All staff and patients at the hospital are being tested.

Emergency services are provided from three sites at the Sarada Medical Centre in Nadi town, Malolo and Namaka Health Centre.

35 New Cases In Suva, Nadi

–  Navy cluster – 23
– Extra Supermarket cluster – 1
– Nawaka, Nadi cluster – 3
– Navosai Narere cluster – 5
– Waila cluster – 1
– CWM Hospital – 2

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