The Ministry of Health has this evening confirmed 12 new positive cases of Covid-19 in Fiji.
The first case is a soldier working in a border quarantine facility and is a roommate of the first border quarantine soldier announced Covid-19 positive on Sunday, 18 April.
According to the Ministry of Health, the new case tested negative on his first test and did not pose a threat to the public as he remained in the border quarantine facility.
He has now tested positive after 7 days in quarantine.
Four of the other new cases are close contacts of the hotel worker who attended a funeral.
According to Health Permanent Secretary, Dr James Fong, they had tested negative when they entered quarantine but have now tested positive.
The remaining seven cases are related to the woman in Makoi, Nasinu who was confirmed Covid-19 positive yesterday and is potentially community transmission.
The ministry’s investigation has revealed that the woman is the wife of the soldier who was confirmed Covid-19 positive today.
He says by community transmission they mean a case that cannot be linked to other cases or to international travel.
Doctor Fong says finding a case of community transmission is of great concern, because it indicates that an outbreak is widespread and uncontrolled, with a devastating outbreak imminent.
He says the current information indicates that the woman from Makoi caught the virus from her husband. Establishing this link between the Makoi case all the way back to case 73 means that this Makoi case will now be re-classified as a case of local transmission, and not community transmission.
Fiji’s capital Suva and the main island of Viti Levu remain in lockdown for 14 days.
There are 36 Covid-19 cases in quarantine.
Photo Fijian Government Caption: Dr James Fong Permanent Secretary for Health (left)