COVID-19

There were 3,001 deaths in 24 hours, after a peak of more than 4,000 was reached at the start of April.

The 14-day average of deaths and cases remains high but has seen a slight fall.

Congress has opened an inquiry into the government's handling of the pandemic.

President Jair Bolsonaro, who has frequently spoken out against lockdowns, masks and defended unproved drugs as treatment, is facing widespread criticism and his support has plummeted.

India reported 379,257 new infections on Thursday, the world's highest single-day total.

The US embassy warned that "access to all types of medical care is becoming severely limited".

The level 4 "do not travel" advisory is the highest of its kind issued by the Department of State.

The overall death toll in India officially surpassed 200,000 on Wednesday, though experts believe the actual number could be much higher.

In the advisory, US citizens were told "not to travel to India or to leave as soon as it is safe to do so".

According to the Permanent Secretary for Health, Dr James Fong, the first two are close household contacts of previously announced cases, and they have tested positive while secure in quarantine facilities.

One is the 25-year-old wife of the case who stayed in Vunimono, Nausori and the other is his 52-year-old aunt.

Dr Fong told a press conference this evening that the third case is a former border quarantine passenger who arrived from Papua New Guinea into Nadi on Friday April 9th.

The Health Ministry said a 53 year-old caretaker from the town of Rakiraki will require further investigation into his contacts to determine whether he is linked to other Covid-19 patients.

Health Secretary James Fong said the man showed symptoms of the virus when he visited the health centre on Saturday.

Dr Fong said the man is being isolated at Lautoka Hospital.

He said the other latest case is linked to a woman who contracted the virus from her husband, a worker at the MIQ facility in Nadi.

Local media reported that the organising committee had asked the country's nursing association for assistance in staffing Olympic venues and the athletes' village before and during the July 23-Aug. 8 Games.

Olympic organisers are pushing ahead with their preparations as Japan struggles to contain a resurgence in the coronavirus pandemic. The country on Friday declared areas including Tokyo and Osaka to be in a state of emergency.

India's second wave of Covid-19 infections has seen at least 300,000 people a day test positive for the past week, overwhelming healthcare facilities and crematoriums and driving an increasingly urgent international response.

In the past 24 hours, 360,960 new cases were recorded, the largest single-day total in the world, taking India's total to nearly 18 million. A further 3293 deaths, the deadliest day so far, took the death toll to 201,187.

Experts believe the official tally vastly underestimates the actual toll in the country of 1.3 billion.

The couple were announced as campaign chairs of the Vax Live event, organised by anti-poverty group Global Citizen.

US President Joe Biden will also appear at the concert, which is being hosted by pop star Selena Gomez.

"We will all benefit, we will all be safer, when everyone, everywhere has equal access to the vaccine," Harry and Meghan said.

"We must pursue equitable vaccine distribution and, in that, restore faith in our common humanity. The mission couldn't be more critical or important."

According to Japanese agency Kyodo News, citing Tokyo 2020 sources, a requirement could be introduced for participants to undergo two COVID-19 tests within 96 hours prior to their departure.

An interim report from the Japanese Government in December had initially suggested one negative would be required within 72 hours before flying to the host nation.

Athletes and support staff, as well as National Olympic Committee, International Federation and International Olympic Committee officials and the media would be covered by the requirement.

Staff are working around the clock, while parks and other empty spaces are also being utilised for cremations.

Families have had to wait hours before being allowed to cremate their dead due to the rise in demand.

Deaths have been surging in India as a second wave of infections devastates the country.

The rising number of deaths - 380 were recorded in Delhi alone on Monday - has left crematoriums in urgent need of space.

Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Health, Dr James Fong said they received the confirmation from the Microbiological Diagnostic Unit (MDU) at the Peter Doherty Institute in Melbourne