Fiji’s Ministry of Health and Medical Services is investigating the source of transmission of a 68-year-old man of Rakiraki who tested positive for coronavirus.
The man was the fourth of five new cases announced by the health ministry at yesterday’s daily COVID-19 briefing.
Ministry permanent secretary Dr James Fong said the man tested positive after presenting himself to the Rakiraki hospital outpatients department with a cough and fever.
“We are yet to establish any direct link between this case and existing cases,” Dr Fong said.
“Investigations are ongoing while this individual has been entered into quarantine.”
He said they were quite sure there were others like him out in public.
And he has urged anyone who is feeling unwell anywhere in the country to immediately report to a screening clinic.
Meanwhile, Dr Fong said case 110 – the 53-year-old caretaker of Rakiraki Provincial Office who also reside in Rakiraki – still does not have a clearly-established connection to the existing cases.
“However, thanks to contact tracing, we have leads, but until we’re confident enough to make an official confirmation, all Fijians should continue to behave as if they have been exposed to the virus,” he said.
“Boundaries in Ra have been set, and the patient’s family are now in quarantine and have been swabbed for testing.
“We’ve also swabbed another 40 primary contacts of this individual and screened 406 others in Ra. Results are pending,” he had said.
On Wednesday, Dr Fong noted concerns with this case saying it would require additional investigation into his contacts to determine if he was definitively linked to other active cases.
However, he had said that all of his family members had been quarantined at the Ra Special School with Police officers providing security at the facility.
The Fiji Police Force had also established Naiserelagi Village, Nanukuloa Village and Dokonavatu Settlement as containment zones.
Fifty primary and secondary contacts were identified and screened for fever and symptoms.
Also, all households in Nanukuloa Village, Naiserelagi Village and Dokonavatu Settlement had been informed to stay home until further notice.
“There are others out there who may have had contact with this individual. We need all Fijians living in the Rakiraki area to be alert to any potential COVID-19 symptoms; and if you’re feeling unwell, follow this man’s example and either visit your nearest screening clinic or dial 158 for the Ministry of Health to come to your home to check on you.”
Screening clinics in Ra are at the:
- Rakiraki Divisional Hospital tent
- Nasau Health Centre
- Namarai Health Centre
- Nanukuloa Health Centre
- Nasau Health Centre
- Rakiraki Town and
- there is a screening tent erected just opposite the police station.