Fiji

Fiji schools re-open

Children aged 5 to 12 have been at home since April last year while Year 12 and 13 students returned to classes in November.

Health Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete said the coronavirus is now endemic to Fiji and community transmission will lead to the same in schools.

Kiribati goes into first lockdown after Covid flight cases

Under the new measures, people have been told to stay at home and social gatherings are banned.

Some 36 people on the flight from Fiji have tested positive. Four people have caught the virus from community transmission.

Until last week, Kiribati had recorded just two Covid cases.

Kiribati is one of the most isolated islands in the world. It is some 4,800km (2,980 miles) from its nearest continent, Australia.

Fiji records over 300 new Covid-19 cases

The Ministry of Health confirmed that there are 659 new cases of which 312 new cases were recorded on Tuesday and 347 new cases yesterday.

Meanwhile, there have been six deaths recorded as well from the virus.

MOH’s Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong said due to the protection afforded by the vaccination programme, the reported deaths have been much less compared to the previous wave.

Fiji court finds man guilty of murdering 5 people

Mohammed Raheesh Isoof was convicted this afternoon after Justice Thushara Rajasinghe ruled that the prosecution proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Isoof had killed the family of five in August 2019.

Isoof was charged with five counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.

The bodies of a 63-year-old carpenter, Nirmal Kumar, his 54-year-old wife, Usha Devi, their 34-year-old daughter, Nileshni Kajal and Kajal's two daughters aged 11 and 8 years were discovered in the Nausori Highlands about 28km out of Nadi.

Fiji’s Save the Children ready to respond to Pacific nations affected by tsunami

The eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai underwater volcano, about 65 kilometres north of Tonga’s capital of Nuku’alofa, caused a 1.2 metre tsunami at 5.30 pm local time Saturday 15 January.

A tidal wave was recorded in Fiji and tsunami warnings were issued for Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu, New Zealand and Australia.

In a statement released today, Save the Children Fiji CEO Shairana Ali said the organisation was closely monitoring the situation and was prepared to respond where needed.

Fiji reports shortage of Covid-19 booster doses

The Ministry of Health’s Permanent Secretary, Doctor James Fong said 142, 240 people are due to receive the booster dose this month, but the current stocks of the Moderna vaccine, which is being used as the booster dose, are in excess of 100,000 doses.

Dr Fong reassured that they are expecting more of the Pfizer vaccine by the middle of this month.

Since administering the booster jab, 39,179 people in Fiji have so far received their dose.

Meanwhile, the vaccination campaign also continues around the country.

Covid-19: Fiji health system overwhelmed by third wave

Health staff who test positive for Covid-19 are being isolated which the government says has contributed to depleted staff numbers in the front-line.

Fiji's Health Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete said with the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, containing any transmission is priority.

"What we've done is to make sure, we've used the available young doctors at CWM. They have been mobilized to support them in the health centres. So now they have a full cohort back on the ground," he said.

 

Photo file  Caption:  CWM Hospital in Suva Fiji  

Fiji records over 400 new Covid-19 cases

The Ministry of Health confirmed that 368 cases of the total were recorded on Sunday and 93 in the

24 hours ending at 8 am on Monday.

MOH is still yet to release their latest update from yesterday.

Fiji has also recorded five deaths from Covid-19 in its latest update.

The first Covid-19 death is of a 63-year-old female from Tavua, who died on the 6th of this month.

She had significant pre-existing medical conditions and was fully vaccinated.

The second is of a 75-year-old unvaccinated man from Nausori.

Over 4,000 people in evacuation centres in Fiji

This has been confirmed by the National Disaster Management Office.

As heavy rain continues to be experienced in parts of the country, the NDMO said a total of 156 evacuation centres have been opened.

There are 106 centres open in the Western Division, 33 centres in the Central Division, 16 in the North, and one in the Eastern Division.

     

Cyclone leaves Fiji but flood risk continues

The category 1 storm left one person dead, caused widespread flooding which forced close to 2,000 people to flee their homes and seek shelter at 110 evacuation centres activated across Fiji.

Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management Inia Seruiratu said the capital Suva was spared by Cody, but it had belted the whole of the main island Viti Levu with heavy rains since late last week.

Flash flooding was reported across the country and Seruiratu said Cody may intensify to a category 2 storm as it moved south west out of Fiji.