Coronavirus

The consumption of medical oxygen in hospitals in the country has risen high since the rise of COVID-19 cases in the country, especially in the high risk provinces including the National Capital District.

Health authorities are now calling on everyone to adhere to the non-pharmaceutical measures to help prevent further spread of the virus as oxygen demand is expected to increase. 

KHJ News received confirmation from Director of Health Motusa Tuileama Nua that a traveller yielded a positive result for coronavirus from the tests conducted on the 3rd day after arrival.

The individual was the only person who tested positive among the 262 travellers who were in quarantine.

The individual has been moved to isolation.

The Department of Health has ruled out that the person is a historical case.

As with the first four imported positive coronavirus cases, the person was fully vaccinated and is asymptomatic.

It will confirm after its Cabinet meeting today whether to go ahead as planned and allow shops to open and increase the outdoor gathering limit to 25.

But with 319 new cases over the weekend, and more than 1000 in the past seven days, health experts fear daily numbers cases could hit 1000 a day by Christmas if the spread is allowed to escalate further.

Public health lecturer Collin Tukuitonga said it was not the right time to ease restrictions.

"The outbreak could explode and spin out of control," he said.

For many, that will also mean protection from long COVID -- sometimes-debilitating symptoms that can last for months after a COVID-19 diagnosis.

Kate Porter's daughter Adria was 11 when they both came down with an awful fever, fatigue and malaise in March 2020, before there was a vaccine for anyone. They both have grappled with ongoing symptoms since.

Chief Executive Officer, Matt Cannon said they are alarmed and concerned by an increase in patients needing ambulance transport for COVID-19, adding this suggests that Central may be on the cusp of a wave of COVID-19.

On Thursday 4^th November, their ambulances attended to seven cases, four of whom tested positive to COVID-19.

There was no media conference today. In a statement, the Ministry of Health said 78 of today's cases are yet to be linked, and there are 645 unlinked cases from the past 14 days.

It said 109 of today's cases were in Auckland, with three in Waikato and one in Northland.

There are 74 people in hospital, including five in intensive care. All are in Auckland and the average age is 51.

Today's figures are almost half the record 206 cases recorded yesterday.

There was also one new case detected at the border.

They expressed their thoughts at a press conference yesterday, Friday 5^th of November, led by BOC Deputy Chairman, Pastor Michael Wilson, in which a 21-day prayer and fasting was called.

He said the churches had met previously and discussed the issues surrounding COVID-19, which had affected the daily lives of everyone.

He related to the two precious 21-day prayer and fast, which were held during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and second wave in 2020 and 2021.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of a possible half a million more deaths in Europe by February.

WHO Europe head Hans Kluge blamed insufficient vaccine take-up.

Sixteen million Germans are unvaccinated.

However hospital intensive care cases are still lower than in spring.

Kluge said a relaxation of public health measures was also behind the rise in cases in the WHO's European region, which covers 53 countries including parts of Central Asia. So far the WHO has recorded 1.4m deaths across the region.

He said: “There is no need for me or anybody else to incite the public to protest and the Prime Minister, James Marape is doing enough inciting with his confusing policy signals, and draconian orders. 

Namah said the Prime Minister has announced that vaccination is not compulsory but he then came out supporting a 'No Jab, No Job' work place practice of the private sector. 

In a press conference at the Tabernacle of Prayer Church on Thursday 04^th November, 2021, senior pastors of the Body of Christ and the Evangelical churches called on the Government and the corporate sector to stop harassing citizens and coercing them to take the COVID-19 vaccine against their will.