A four-month-old baby is the youngest to have succumbed to COVID-19 in the country.

The baby was among the three new COVID-19 deaths that were recorded from August 30 to September 7, 2021.

All three deaths were reported in the Central Division.

Permanent Secretary for Health Dr James Fong in his daily update last night said the 4-month-old infant was presented to a health center in mild respiratory distress on September 1.

“He was medically assessed and stabilized by the attending medical officer and was then transferred to the CWM Hospital for specialist care,” Dr Fong said.

“As per protocol upon admission, he was tested for COVID-19 and was noted to be positive,” he said.

“His mother reported that he had a cough and was noted to be irritable two days before their presentation and developed a fever on the night before his presentation on August 31.”

“Sadly, he died five days after admission on 06/09/2021.”

“He was not vaccinated as he was not in the current target population of people 18 years and over that are eligible to receive the vaccine.”

The second COVID-19 death to report today was a 66-year-old man from Naitasiri who died at home on September 7.

The man was yet to receive his second dose of the vaccine.

The third COVID-19 death was a 76-year-old man from Naitasiri who presented to the Vunidawa Hospital in severe respiratory distress.

The man had received the first dose of the vaccine in early July but had not received the second dose of the vaccine.

Dr Fong added that there had been eight more deaths of COVID-19 positive patients.

However, these deaths had been classified as non-COVID deaths by their doctors.

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