A record number of daily COVID-19 cases has been announced as the Health Ministry confirms there are 83 new cases.
Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong says the majority of these cases are from known clusters or areas already under containment or lockdown protocols, including in Waila, CWM Hospital, the Incident Management Team at the Health Ministry Headquarters, the IMT Warehouse in Lami, Caubati, Navy, Samabula, Shop N Save Supermarket, Nawaka Nadi, and Navosai.
Doctor Fong says the cluster of greatest concern is at CWM Hospital where their medical teams are going to great lengths to provide critical treatment without exposing themselves and their patients to the virus.
He says in Lautoka, they cordoned off the hospital as a COVID-care facility and deployed a field hospital to handle non-COVID care.
They will be replicating the success of that model at CWM Hospital.
Doctor Fong says the CWM Hospital will become a full-time COVID-care facility with tightly controlled movement into the hospital.
Access to Laboratory, Maternity and Paediatric Units will be through escalated screening protocols and package decontamination protocols.
He says a field hospital for the treatment of non-COVID patients in the vicinity of the CWM Hospital is being established in conjunction with Fiji's partners from Australia.
Meanwhile, new clusters have been reported in Naitasiri.
Doctor Fong says there are 2 cases from Matasinasau Village in Naitasiri, one of whom was recently discharged from CWM Hospital and one case who had moved to Tavua Village by the time the results were known.
1 case is from Laselevu, 1 case in the Savusavu settlement and 1 case is from Vuisiga Village, Vunidawa.
Doctor Fong says the Naitasiri Containment Response Team have also had to stand down due to exposure to a positive case.
One case has been confirmed in Tavua in a traveller who recently arrived from Lautoka.
In total, 11 of the 83 cases are of unknown origin and will be classified as cases of community transmission until proven otherwise.
