Coronavirus

Three patients and two staff members at St George Hospital in Kogarah contracted the virus. The hospital is treating all patients in the ward as close contacts.

Dr Anthony Holley, the President of the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society, said it was very concerning but not unexpected.

"These are the most at-risk patients in many ways, particularly immunocompromised patients that might be found in an oncology ward.

There are over 23,000 active cases in isolation with three quarters of them at home.

The death toll is now at 368 - 366 of them from the latest outbreak that began in April.

Chief medical adviser Dr Jemesa Tudravu said 386 individuals were admitted at the COVID-19 isolation wards at the hospitals.

He said over 40 percent of these patients were on oxygen support.

Dr Tudravu said 19,905 COVID-positive people were under home isolation in the central division since April.

The government said many people dying of COVID-19 had not given healthcare workers a chance to treat them.

Fiji's Health Ministry reported 398 new cases of COVID-19 and five deaths for the 24 hours to 8am yesterday.

That compared with 568 cases and 13 deaths in the previous 24-hour period.

Health Secretary Doctor James Fong said there were enough ventilators in health facilities across the country to accommodate the COVID-19 patients.

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said Hipkins said from 11.59pm on 15 August, travel from Indonesia and Fiji would be restricted to New Zealand citizens, their families, and parents of dependent children who were citizens.

“Public health advice suggests steps must be taken now to minimise the risk of COVID-19 entering unimpeded through our border,” Hipkins said.

“These stronger measures for specific countries have been enacted to reduce the risk of possible transmission, which is particularly important as countries deal with the Delta variant of Covid-19.”

Although the Fiji National Blood Service has a regular pool of blood donors which kept blood supply sufficient, the current challenges of the country's COVID outbreak is keeping donors away, which is a huge problem for the country's three largest hospitals.

The Fiji Red Cross Society's Neomai Kafoa, who is the focal point for its COVID-19 work, said the situation was so serious that they had 85 volunteers on the phones urging friends and family to donate blood.

The marriage event was reportedly attended by President Edouard Fritch and all of the territory's cabinet.

News website Tahiti Infos reports the French High Commission saying that health protocols for mass gatherings were not followed.

The new limits had been imposed after a resurgence of COVID-19 in July saw a massive influx in numbers being admitted to hospital.

These changes require that people attending social events are seated, six per table, with tables one metre apart, no musical or artistic events, and that masks are used extensively.

Fiji now has over 24,420 active cases in isolation, with 317 deaths - 315 of them from this latest outbreak that began in April.

The government also confirmed 603 new cases for the 24 hours to 8am yesterday.

That compares with 657 cases and three deaths in the previous 24-hour period.

Health Secretary Doctor James Fong said all the victims had died between August 4 and 9.

He said 11 of the deaths were reported in the Western Division and seven from the Central Division.

The latest figures from the start of August show huge increases when compared with the same period in July.

By the end of July, Fiji's Ministry of Health and Medical Services had recorded 25,363 new infections and 218 deaths for the month.

According to government figures, the country started July with 3503 infections but by the month's end, 21,707 people were living with the Delta strain of the coronavirus.

Eleven of the 21 crew on board the Rio De La Plata are confirmed to have the virus.

Public Health staff took the test swabs in Tauranga from the crew as part of the requirements for entry for the vessel to its next stop - Napier.

The Ministry of Health said in a statement that it was likely at least some of the 11 crew were active cases of COVID-19 and further test results, expected today, would help determine how many of the crew were likely to be historical cases and no longer infectious.

The government also confirmed six more deaths including an 18-year-old woman.

That compares with 752 cases and seven deaths in the previous 24-hour period.

Health Secretary Doctor James Fong said of the latest cases, 193 are from the Western Division and 489 cases from the Central Division.

Dr Fong said the latest victims died on 5 and 6 August, with three deaths in the Central Division and three in the Western Division.

He said all but two of the patients were not vaccinated.