Health Ministry prepares to shift into a mitigation phase that ensures that healthcare resources are focused on caring for patients who develop severe illness from COVID-19

Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong says given the escalating number of new cases in the Lami-Nausori Containment zone, the Health Ministry is preparing to shift into a mitigation phase that ensures that healthcare resources are focused on caring for patients who develop severe illness as a result of the virus.

Doctor Fong says this is to ensure that the patients can receive proper treatment and achieve the best possible outcome from the care.

He also says due to the high number of COVID-19 cases and constraints on quarantine capacity, new positive cases are being entered into home isolation, where feasible.

Doctor Fong says specific guidance has been provided for these individuals to ensure they do not have contact with other members of their households.

He says it is vital, particularly in multi-generational households, that the Ministry’s home isolation protocols are strictly followed.

Doctor Fong says while they will be regularly checking up on these individuals, adherence to the home isolation protocols within the household is critical at all times.

Meanwhile, a new daily record of COVID-19 cases was announced last night as 94 new cases have been confirmed.

Doctor Fong confirms 28 cases are from the CWM Hospital cluster, 8 from the Nawaka, Nadi cluster, 5 from the Navy cluster, 14 from the Navosai cluster, 26 from the Waila cluster, 9 from the Health Ministry’s Incident Management Team cluster, 3 from the RFMF cluster and 1 from the Caubati cluster.

2 cases that tested positive after presenting to Valelevu Health Centre are included in the CWM Hospital cluster as they had recently been discharged from the hospital.

Please note a cluster does not mean that all the cases are at CWM Hospital.

It means the source of the virus is from that cluster.