The Health Ministry is currently investigating two Fijian citizens for Novel Coronavirus after their arrival into Fiji from Guangdong in China yesterday.
It has confirmed in a statement that the two people both currently have mild symptoms and are under isolation at the Nadi Hospital.
The Health Ministry says lab samples are being sent to the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre reference laboratory in Melbourne in Australia.
The Ministry’s response teams are also managing close contacts of the patients.
It says they will provide an update to the public on the two persons under investigation once lab results are available.
The Health Ministry further says as the symptoms are very similar to many other respiratory illnesses including colds and influenza it is expected that with time the Ministry will investigate more persons with relevant travel history and symptoms related to Coronavirus.
It adds that this should not alarm the public, as this is an indication of the level of alert they are maintaining for this globally spreading disease.
BBC News reports more than 20,000 cases and 425 deaths had been reported in China - an increase of more than 3,000 confirmed cases in a single day.
Fiji Human Rights Commission urges people to refrain from making racially-driven jokes against the Asian community
The Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission is urging everyone to refrain from making racially-driven jokes, stereotyping and passing prejudicial remarks against the Asian community in light of the outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus.
Director, Ashwin Raj says social media is saturated with jokes and comments that are disparaging and denigrating towards the Chinese community in particular.
Raj says there should be no room for racial profiling based on peoples’ ethnicity, nationality, physical appearance, the type of food they consume or their lifestyle.
The Commission Director says fear and anxiety should not be used to fuel racism.
The Commission urges all members of the public to denounce such acts, refrain from spreading false information and adhere to the advice from the Ministry of Health.
By: Vijay Narayan
Coronavirus: Australia eyes second flight from Wuhan as evacuees arrive on Christmas Island
A total of 241 Australians have reached the Australian territory of Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean after being evacuated by plane from Wuhan in China.
Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison say most will be placed under quarantine on Christmas Island for two weeks.
All Australians who were on our flight out of Wuhan have arrived safely. 241 have now been transferred to Christmas Island and are being well looked after. A pregnant woman and her partner have been transferred to Perth and are in isolation there.
— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) February 4, 2020
One pregnant woman and her partner have been sent to Perth for isolation.
A second patient with coronavirus has died outside of mainland China in Hong Kong.
It is reported that a 39-year-old man died today.
He is said to have travelled to Wuhan on January 21 and had an underlying illness.
The Philippines is the only other location outside mainland China to report a death from the virus.
That victim had also travelled to Wuhan before arriving in the Philippines.
[Source: CNN]
By: Violet Matakibau
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