A Covid-19 patient from Fiji's remote island of Malolo has been airlifted to a hospital on the mainland.
Malolo Island is the largest of the Mamanuca Group off Fiji's west coast. Photo: Supplied
The Government also confirmed 200 new cases on Saturday, with 38 of them from the outer islands.
This included 131 cases from the Western Division, 67 from the Central Division and two cases from the Eastern Division.
The two cases in the east are from Kadavu, with seven on Malolo and 29 infections on Naviti in the Yasawas - west of the country.
Health Secretary James Fong said all the positive patients are in isolation.
He said there were 253 cases and three deaths reported on Friday.
Dr Fong said the 54-year-old man from Malolo was evacuated to Lautoka Hospital.
There is movement restriction imposed on Malolo with two new cases identified at Solevu Village, bringing to 32 the total number of infected people on the popular tourist island.
In one new case, a 43-year-old woman was diagnosed with Covid-19 at Kese Village in Naviti, another tourist destination.
"Investigations suggest that the case is linked to the cases in Somosomo Village," Dr Fong said.
"An intermediate team visited Gunu Village for further assessment and testing.
"Movement restrictions remain in force for all villages on the island."
There have been 13 new recoveries since the last update, which Dr Fong said means there are now 16,537 active cases - 5077 of them are in the Central Division, 11,154 in the West, four in the North (Macuata) and 302 active cases in the Eastern Division (all on Kadavu).
James Fong. Photo: Facebook/Fiji govt
Covid deaths: 7-day rolling average is 5
There were no deaths reported on Saturday.
But Dr Fong said two people who had tested positive to Covid-19 had also died.
However, he said these deaths had been classified as non-Covid related by their doctors.
"The doctors have determined that these deaths were caused by a serious pre-existing medical condition and not Covid-19.
"There have been 47,639 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021.
"We have recorded a total of 47,709 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020, with 30,345 recoveries."
The death toll is at 508, with 506 of these reported during the outbreak that started in April this year.
Dr Fong said due to the time required by clinical teams to investigate, classify and report deaths, a four-day interval is given to calculate the seven-day rolling average of deaths, based on the date of death, to help ensure the data collected is complete before the average is reported.
"Therefore, as of August 30th, the national 7-day rolling average of Covid-19 deaths per day is 5. The 7-day rolling average for Covid deaths per day in the Central Division is 1 and in the Western Division, 4.
"We also have recorded 319 positive patients who died from the serious medical conditions that they had before they contracted Covid-19; these are not classified as Covid deaths."
Dr Fong there are 219 Covid-19 patients admitted to the hospital - 96 of them are admitted at the Lautoka Hospital, 17 at the FEMAT field hospital, and 106 are admitted at the Colonial War Memorial, St Giles and Makoi hospitals.
He said 24 patients are in severe condition and eight are critical.
.. Photo: Facebook/Fiji govt
Change to curfew hours
With 50.9 percent of the eligible population now fully vaccinated against Covid-19, the curfew will now start from 8pm-4am from Saturday 4 September.
Dr Fong said this is in line with the Prime Minister's earlier comments on the country achieving 50 percent full vaccination on 22 August this year.
Only travellers fully vaccinated against Covid-19 are now being allowed entry into Fiji.
The government says the only exceptions will be "a few emergencies."
It says it expects to have at least 60-percent of the country's target population vaccinated by the end of October, and to reopen the border in November.
"As at midday Saturday September 4, 2021, 298,834 of the vaccine eligible public had received the second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
"We continue to encourage those who have not received their vaccination, to visit a vaccination clinic nearest you and for those yet to receive their second dose to receive it on their due date.
"Achieving full vaccination status for all vaccination eligible residents provides the layer of protection that protects our families, our communities and our nation," Dr Fong said.
While the change of the curfew hours means more time for shopping and carrying out other essential activities, Dr Fong said health protection measures remained.
"Restrictions on social gatherings, leaving your house for essential travel and continuing to practise Covid-19 safe measures of wearing a mask, regularly washing your hands with soap and water or a hand sanitiser, practising safe physical distancing of two meters and covering your cough and sneeze is still critical for protection against Covid-19."
"As of the 3rd of September, 566,128 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine.
"This means that 96.5 of the target population have received at least one dose.
"We are currently doing a mop-up exercise of our first dose campaign, which will allow us to specifically target communities with low coverage, and relook at certain subdivisions that are generating coverage rates beyond 100 percent."
This will allow us to correct and update the total eligible population for our current vaccination program, Dr Fong said.
Fiji now has 16,537 active cases in isolation with the death toll still at 508, with 506 of them from this April outbreak.
