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 to the southwest of Fiji and continues to remains slow moving towards the group.
- Associated cloud and rain affects the northern, western and southern parts of Viti Levu and the southern group of islands.
- Forecast to midnight tomorrow for the Fiji group: Forecast for Yasawa and Mamanuca group, Tavua to Rakiraki, Ba and Lautoka Area, Greater Nadi Area, Sigatoka to Korolevu and Coastal Serua to Namosi, Interior Ba, Interior Ra, Interior Nadroga/Navosa, Interior Serua and Namosi, Beqa and Vatulele, Kadavu, Moala group, Lomaiviti and Southern Lau group: Occasional rain, heavy at times and few thunderstorms.
- For the rest of Fiji group: Some showers and isolated thunderstorms with heavy falls expected
- Isolated heavy falls expected over most places with high chances of flash flooding expected over the low lying areas along coral coast areas from Votualailai to Naboutini and from Pacific Harbour to Wainadoi, Nadi, Lautoka, Ba, Tavua to Rakiraki.
- Surface water flooding especially along the Naboutini flat and other flood prone areas due to blocked drainage.
- Localised heavy falls may lead to flash flooding of other low lying areas.
- Moderate northerly winds, turning predominantly northwesterly and increasing to fresh from later today.
- Moderate to rough seas.
- Outlook for Sunday : Occasional rain, heavy at times and few thunderstorms over the Yasawa and Mamanuca group, Ba and Lautoka Area, Greater Nadi Area, Interior Ba, Interior Nadroga/Navosa, Interior Serua and Namosi, Sigatoka to Korolevu and Coastal Serua to Namosi, Beqa and Vatulele, Kadavu, Moala group, Lomaiviti and Southern Lau group.
- Elsewhere, cloudy periods with some showers and afternoon or evening thunderstorms.
- Isolated heavy falls expected.
- Localised heavy falls may lead to flash flooding of low lying areas.
COVID-19 daily press briefing
- The Permanent Secretary of Health and Medical Services will issue an updated statement every night – 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.
Online event
- Ordination to Diaconate by Paseka at 9am
General information
- 2022 Korean Trip Training by Korean Camp volunteer at Duna Crescent at 2pm
- FTUC 19th Women’s Conference at Fiji Trades Union Congress-FTUC at 9am
- Roosters 9s at Prince Charles Park at 8.30am
- Come-n-try Program By World Archery Fiji at Colo-i-Suva Archery Club at 1pm
- 2022 Holi Celebrations – Lakshmi Vishnu Mandir at Laucala Beach Estate at 11am
- Free NCD screening by Herbal Fiji in Tavua at 9am
- Market Day by Solo Moms Project Fiji in Tavua at 7am
- Nadi Sports & Social Club AGM 2022 at 7pm
- Nadi Malolo Youth Rally at Abundant Life AOG at 12pm
Editor’s movie picks:
- The Batman – 1.20pm, 8.20pm at Life Cinema Lautoka; 8.40pm at Life Cinema Nadi; 2.50pm, 8.50pm at Life Cinema Nakasi; 1.20pm at Life Cinema Labasa
- Bachchhan Paandey – 10.40am, 1.35pm, 5.10pm, 7.40pm at Village 6 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
