The Indian Weekender, 07 May 2021

The Indian Weekender Friday, May 7, 2021 FIJI 13
Covid-19: Fiji extends flight cancellations as
it braces for case surge in second outbreak
Fiji’s government has
extended cancellations of all
repatriation flights for another week as
the country prepares for a surge in Covid-19
cases following a second outbreak of the highly
infectious Indian variant.
All repatriation flights to Fiji on Fiji Airways,
including those from New Zealand, were
cancelled on April 26. They were set to resume
on May 2, but that date has been pushed back to
May 9. As of Sunday, Fiji has 49 active cases, of
which 16 are border cases, 31 locally transmitted
and two cases still under investigation. Fiji’s
permanent secretary for health, Dr James Fong,
announced no confirmed cases on Sunday – the
first time since the second outbreak began on
April 17.
He said that was no reason to celebrate and
said Fijians should prepare for a surge in cases.
“We are certain that there will be more
cases that will develop. Worryingly that an
unconfirmed case of the virus has already
developed into a highly contagious disease,”
Fong said in his daily press briefing.
“Our biggest fear right now is that someone
with symptoms has not reported to the screening
clinic or called 158. This virus arrives in waves,
a lull can signal a surge so let’s not get one day
of no cases fool anyone to thinking that this
Transmission chain more widespread: Dr Fong
The chain of transmission
of the second wave of
COVID-19 in Fiji is more
widespread and the variant is more
transmissible.
Permanent Secretary for Health,
Dr James Fong, stresses that the risks
are greater, and the health ministry’s
response must be more decisive.
Dr Fong says many think this
containment effort will play out on a
relatively similar timeline at that of
last year, however, he adds that Fiji
is not up against an identical enemy
this time around.
“My teams are ready for a
containment strategy that lasts
months, at a minimum. Every Fijian
must be ready as well. Good habits
— such as mask-wearing, covering
coughs and sneezes, staying home
when sick, proper handwashing,
physical distancing, keeping careFIJI
on, and limiting movement —
are not temporary or emergency
measures. They will be with us for
the foreseeable future. Learn them
storm is over.”
Fijian authorities have identified the virus
as the double mutant India variant, which the
World Health Organisation has designated a
“variant of interest” because it could be more
transmissible and evade vaccine immunity.
Fijian national Jone Seru, who came to New
Zealand for a medical procedure, was supposed
to return home just days before the first cases –
a soldier and a hotel worker – were identified at
a managed quarantine facility on April 17 and
18. Fiji's authorities went into high alert and put
Nadi and Lautoka in lockdown first. A 56-hour
lockdown in Suva and Nausori areas followed
on the weekend, as more cases were confirmed
outside the quarantine facility.
A funeral, sevens rugby tournament and
well, and practice them all. The rest
of the world has embraced a new way
of doing things, a new and safer way
of living — so must Fiji.”
Dr Fong says Fijians should use
this time to COVID-proof their
lives, places of work, and public
spaces as much as possible as this
will save lives today, and it will keep
people safe.
a clothes factory have all been identified as
super-spreader events and locations that may
increase Covid-19 numbers in the country.
Seru said he was looking forward to
going back home but understood why flight
cancellations were necessary.
“The situation in Fiji is pretty dire right now,
no-one could have predicted a second wave,”
he said.
“I want to go home, but I feel safer in New
Zealand to be honest, the numbers are getting
out of hand with the cases popping up.”
Seru said he’d been tracking the situation in
Fiji through social media and his family.
He was saddened by the laxity of Fijians in
adhering to lockdown restrictions and also the
government’s decision to put Suva-Nausori
She says we are fighting the
virus, not the people
The couple who returned to
Fiji from India on 10th April and had
tested positive for COVID-19 are
still in isolation.
This has been confirmed by
Health Ministry's Head of Health
Protection Doctor Aalisha Sahukhan
who says that so far the only people
that have been released are the three
in a hard lockdown, with no shops open and
government emergency food packs activated.
“No supermarkets or food shops were open,
and the announcement of the lockdown came
30 minutes before it came into place. I don’t
believe that’s fair on anyone, Covid or not
people still have to eat.
“Like everyone else, I would really like to see
Fiji beat the virus again, but it takes everyone’s
effort in following lockdown rules to do it, just
like New Zealand.”
The Fiji Airways website stated the status
of future flights would be determined later, in
line with Fiji government updates. Dedicated
international freight flights will still continue.
Fiji’s second wave of Covid-19 began on
April 17 after two Fijian nationals returning
from India came into contact with a soldier at a
managed quarantine facility. Lautoka and Nadi
in the western division were immediately put
into a 14-day lockdown.
The central division, including the capital
Suva, went into a two-week lockdown on
April 26 as cases were found in Cunningham
and Makoi. Containment areas have been
established in Lami, Suva and Nausori zones
in central, and Nadi and Lautoka in the west,
with free movement between zones strictly
prohibited.
Seven patients recover from COVID-19
Seven of our active COVID-19
cases have recovered.
Head of Health Protection,
Dr Aalisha Sahukhan, says they
now have 44 active cases currently
admitted at isolation units. Dr
Sahukhan says she will reveal more
details today.
“I will have more details for you
about how many border quarantine
cases and locally transmitted cases
are in isolation now. So far Fiji
has had 121 cases in total with 75
recoveries and two deaths since
our first case detected on March
19th 2020.”
Dr Sahukhan says so far
56,266 COVID-19 tests have
been conducted.
Meanwhile, the Ra cases are still
under investigation to determine the
source of transmission.
Couple who returned to Fiji from India
and had tested positive for COVID-19
still in isolation: Dr Sahukhan
recovered cases but the couple is still
not discharged. The soldier who was
case 73 had contracted the virus from
this couple. Doctor Sahukhan says
they will not be revealing any other
information about the recovered
patients as the last thing they want is
for the communities to wait for them
and victimise them even further.
She stressed that we are fighting
the virus and not the people.
Intensive Care Unit cases, like the one we now have at Lautoka
Hospital, may be a red flag for widespread transmission: Dr Fong
Lautoka Hospital is now a
tightly contained COVID care
facility, with more than 400
patients, doctors, nurses, and other
staff effectively quarantined within
the hospital until the Health Ministry
can determine who else may or may
not have had contact with the 53-year
patient who had tested for COVID.
Doctor Fong says from a statistical
standpoint, Intensive Care Unit
cases, like the one we now have at
Lautoka Hospital, maybe a red flag
for widespread transmission.
He also says that it tells us that
there are likely many more cases of
the virus out there.
Doctor Fong says they have
dreaded a worst-case scenario such
as this since the day of our first case
M
y teams are ready for a containment strategy
that lasts months, at a minimum. Every Fijian
must be ready as well. Good habits — such as maskwearing,
covering coughs and sneezes, staying
home when sick, proper handwashing, physical
distancing, keeping careFIJI on, and limiting
movement — are not temporary or emergency
measures
in March of last year. He says those
months of planning have informed
an immediate whole-of-government
course of action.
He says to prevent the hospital
from becoming ground-zero for a
wider outbreak, the members of
the disciplined forces have locked
down Lautoka Hospital in a matter
of hours.
Some staff who have left the
hospital have been called back in.
RFMF personnel and members of
the Police have ring-fenced the entire
hospital and will strictly manage who
is allowed onto the premises.
The Lautoka Hospital will be
closed to the public, all medical
services will be re-routed to a
network of back-up hospitals in
Nadi, Ba, and Sigatoka, as well as the
Punjas and Kamikami health centres
in Lautoka.
He says the borders of the
containment areas are open to those
travelling for medical emergencies,
so this can already be facilitated.
Doctor Fong says given they
expect more cases, and more severe
cases, sections within the Lautoka
Hospital are being converted into
intensive care units which will house
additional beds and ventilators.
The staff of Lautoka Hospital will
be accommodated and work within
the hospital while contact tracing
continues.
The staffing capacity in Lautoka
Hospital was already stretched due to
the quarantine of the close contacts
of the two doctors.
He says those who are working
will operate on high-alert, fullyequipped
in the proper personal
protective equipment.
They will be screened regularly
and tested often.
Doctor Fong says they are going
to provide the staff with any and all
support that they need.
He says they will provide food,
supplies, bedding, and whatever
they require.
The Permanent Secretary also
says there is going to be a lot more
swabbing around Lautoka.