SUVA, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Fiji has recorded six more deaths of COVID-19 and 659 new cases since the last update, according to the Ministry of Health's latest update on Thursday.
Fiji's Permanent Secretary for Health James Fong said there have been 752 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji since March 20, 2020.
The national seven-day average daily test positivity is 50.7 percent which is above the World Health Organization recommendation of 5 percent and this high positivity rate is an indication of widespread community transmission.
Fong said due to the protection afforded by the vaccination program, the reported deaths in this third wave have been much less compared to the previous wave. Deaths have been mostly in individuals with high medical risk and who have died either at home, on the way to the hospital, or within a few days of admission.
He said the vaccines are 80 percent protective against severe disease and death and not 100 percent. If community transmission is high enough, rare outcomes will be more visible.
Fong said therefore in this current wave, awareness of the symptoms of severe COVID-19 disease, and early presentation to a health facility when severe symptoms are present, are critical protection measures.
He said following the Vaccine Plus Approach, which will provide the opportunity for all eligible Fijians to access safe and effective vaccines, everyone has a role to play to protect themselves from the current outbreak, as well as future outbreaks linked with other new variants.
Fong has urged Fijians to take responsibility for adhering to the COVID-19 transmission suppression protocols on an individual basis, as well as on a collective basis in all community settings they engage in.
Fiji, with a population of around 900,000, started its booster program in November last year for frontline health and essential service workers, which was later opened to everyone aged 18 and above. ■