Covid 19 coronavirus: Fiji sees 262 more cases, 7.4 per cent positivity rate

Grocery and essential items are delivered by Fijian army officers to red zone homes in lockdown. Photo / Supplied

Fiji's Covid-19 positivity rate continues to increase as health authorities report another 262 cases from 8am on Saturday to 8am on Sunday.

While there have been 13 deaths reported in this outbreak alone, Permanent Secretary for Health James Fong said two Covid-positive deaths are being investigated to determine if they were caused by the virus.

Five of the new cases are from the Nawakalevu Containment Zone in Nadi, three are linked to the cluster at Korovou Town in Tailevu, 118.9km north of the capital Suva.

The rest of the 254 cases are from the Lami-Suva-Nausori Containment Zone.

Fiji's positivity rate continues to climb further up from 5 per cent, which according to the World Health Organisation's criteria published in May 2020, means the epidemic is not under control.

According to Our World in Data (Owid), a scientific online publication produced by a research team at the University of Oxford in England, a rising positive rate "can suggest the virus is actually spreading faster than the growth seen in confirmed cases".

Fiji's Health Secretary Dr James Fong said the remaining cases are contacts of known cases, "cases that were seen in screening clinics and were swabbed, and cases under investigation to determine possible sources of transmission".

He said there have been 3521 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021.

"We have recorded a total of 3591 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 753 recoveries."

There were two deaths reported when the pandemic began in March 2020 in Fiji, but the delta variant continues to spread fast in the country.

Eight Covid-positive patients have died in the country's main hospital - the Colonial War Memorial Hospital - from pre-existing non-Covid related illnesses.

"The seven-day average of new cases per day has increased to 234 cases or 264 cases per million population per day," Fong said.

"Our daily testing numbers have remained at a high level, and yet our test positivity continues to increase.

"All the evidence is that there is widespread community transmission in the Lami-Suva-Nausori containment zone.

"This means the outbreak is not confined to specific areas and everyone should take the necessary precautions and prevent themselves and their loved ones from getting infected."

Fiji health authorities continue to warn the public to "stay home as much as possible" and are urging them to wear a mask as well as "to download and activate the Covid-19 contact tracing app if they must leave the house".

Fiji now has 2838 positive people in isolation.