COVID-19 positive cases are again on the increase in Fiji with a significant majority reported from the Western Division in the last 24 hours.
Ministry of Health permanent secretary Dr James Fong announced 781 new cases – 626 cases reported from the Western Division, 154 cases from the Central Division, and one case from the Eastern Division.
He has also reported eight COVID deaths for the period August 15-19, of which six deaths were reported from the Central Division and two deaths from the West.
He said none of the deceased persons were vaccinated; and six died at home.
Dr Fong said there had been 862 new recoveries reported since the last update, and that meant there were now 21,211 active cases – 12,940 active cases are in the Central Division, 8270 active cases in the Western Division and 1 active case in the Northern Division.
He said the two repatriation cases from Suva who tested positive in a repatriation quarantine facility in the Northern Division that were announced yesterday were not active cases because they had previously tested positive in Suva and were counted in Central cases, and recovered before travelling to the North.
There have been 42,541 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021; and a total of 42,611 cases recorded in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 20,677 recoveries.
“There have been three more deaths of COVID-19 positive patients. However, these deaths have been classified as non-COVID deaths by their doctors.”
With today’s newly-reported deaths, there have now been 421 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 419 of those deaths recorded during the outbreak that started in April this year.
