What’s happening today!

Bula vinaka everyone

Here is another edition of some basic information you may need to know for today.

First, here is your weather forecast for today:

Weather

• A trough of low pressure lies over the northern and eastern parts of Fiji.
• Another trough of low pressure approaches the group from the west.
• Associated rain and showers are expected to affect the country for the next few days.
• Meanwhile, a fresh to strong moist easterly wind flow is expected to prevail over Fiji.
• Forecast to midnight tomorrow for the Fiji group:Over land areas of Lau and Lomaiviti group, Kadavu and nearby smaller islands: Expect easterly winds with speeds of 35km/hr to 45 km/hr.
• Rough seas.
• Elsewhere, moderate to fresh easterly winds. Moderate to rough seas.
• Occasional rain, heavy at times and few thunderstorms over southwest Viti Levu [Lomawai through Sigatoka to Korolevu], interior Nadroga/Navosa, greater Suva/Nausori – Tailevu, eastern Ra, Naitasiri and Serua-Namosi, Lau and Lomaiviti group, Kadavu and nearby smaller islands.
• Elsewhere, occasional showers.
• Isolated thunderstorms and heavy falls likely.
• Outlook for Monday : Strong winds continuing over Lau and Lomaiviti group, Kadavu and nearby smaller islands.
• For coastal areas of southern parts of Viti Levu [from Natadola through Coral Coast to Pacific Harbour], southern coastal areas of Mamanuca group, Kadavu and nearby smaller islands, Moala group, Southern and Central Lau group: Expect coastal sea flooding especially during high tides.
• Occasional rain, heavy at times and few thunderstorms over
• Suva/Nausori – Tailevu, eastern Ra, Naitasiri and Serua-Namosi,
• Kadavu and nearby smaller islands, Lau and Lomaiviti group. Rain
• gradually easing to showers.
• Elsewhere, occasional showers. Showers gradually easing.
• Isolated thunderstorms and heavy falls likely.

 COVID-19 daily press briefing

• The Permanent Secretary of Health and Medical Services will issue updated statements – this can be accessed via the Fijian Government FB page.

COVID-19 vaccination

• Stay alert and monitor radio announcements and check the Government’s Facebook page to get the updated schedule of the mobile vaccination teams in your communities.

General information

• Threshing Floor – Suva 11am at Studio 6
• Apologia Baptist Church service 10am at Selbourne Street
• Mualevu Village church service 2pm at Nauluvatu Methodist church

 EFL Planned Power Shutdown

• Walu Bay – 7.00am to 6.00pm
• Savusavu – 8.00am to 5.00pm
• Marine Drive, Lautoka – 6.00am to 6.00pm

 Editor’s movie picks:

• Vikram Vedha – 1:35pm, 8:30pm at Life Cinema Lautoka; 10:50am, 2:30pm, 8:40pm at Life Cinema Nadi; 10:30am, 5:15pm, 8:40pm at Life Cinema Nakasi; 11:00am, 10:40am, 2:00pm, 8:30pm at Life Cinema Labasa
• Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile – 10.30am, 2.00pm, 5.00pm, 8.50pm at Damodar City, Suva

COVID-19

Health Ministry advice:

• People with severe COVID-19 are still dying at home, or are coming to a medical facility in the late stages of severe illness.
• Severe COVID-19 is a medical emergency, and a delay in receiving appropriate medical treatment reduces your chance of recovering from the disease. You are at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 if you are over the age of 50 or have a non-communicable disease or chronic disease like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, kidney disease, or if you are obese or pregnant.
• If you are at high risk of severe disease and have any symptoms of COVID-19 such as a cough, runny nose, fever, sore throat, body ache, headache, loss of taste/smell – please come to your nearest screening clinic to be checked and tested by our medical teams.
• The severe symptoms of COVID-19, include the following: – Difficulty breathing; – Persistent pain or pressure in the chest; – Severe headache for a few days; – New confusion, inability to wake or stay awake; – Pale, gray, or blue-coloured skin, lips or nail beds.

Source: MOHMS 

On 26 November 2021, WHO designated the variant B.1.1.529 a variant of concern, named Omicron, on the advice of WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution (TAG-VE).  This decision was based on the evidence presented to the TAG-VE that Omicron has several mutations that may have an impact on how it behaves, for example, on how easily it spreads or the severity of illness it causes. Here is a summary of what is currently known.

Current knowledge about Omicron

Researchers in South Africa and around the world are conducting studies to better understand many aspects of Omicron and will continue to share the findings of these studies as they become available.

Transmissibility: It is not yet clear whether Omicron is more transmissible (e.g., more easily spread from person to person) compared to other variants, including Delta. The number of people testing positive has risen in areas of South Africa affected by this variant, but epidemiologic studies are underway to understand if it is because of Omicron or other factors.

Severity of disease: It is not yet clear whether infection with Omicron causes more severe disease compared to infections with other variants, including Delta.  Preliminary data suggests that there are increasing rates of hospitalization in South Africa, but this may be due to increasing overall numbers of people becoming infected, rather than a result of specific infection with Omicron.  There is currently no information to suggest that symptoms associated with Omicron are different from those from other variants.  Initial reported infections were among university students—younger individuals who tend to have more mild disease—but understanding the level of severity of the Omicron variant will take days to several weeks.  All variants of COVID-19, including the Delta variant that is dominant worldwide, can cause severe disease or death, in particular for the most vulnerable people, and thus prevention is always key.

Source: WHO