3rd case of COVID-19 confirmed in Fiji

The third case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Fiji.

Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama confirms that the first patient’s one-year old nephew has also contracted the virus.

Bainimarama says luckily, once again, this patient was not showing symptoms until they were in isolation, vastly cutting the odds they passed the virus onto others.

The mortality rate among the young is especially low, around the world, coronavirus has largely gone undetected in children and infants, as they display only mild symptoms.

But Bainimarama says as today’s case shows, no age group or demographic is immune to contracting or spreading the virus.

He says while the baby’s case may seem heartbreaking, what is truly frightening is the scenario that could have unfolded if the situation had been handled differently, and the first patient’s entire household wasn’t immediately put into isolation as soon as he tested positive.

Bainimarama says every grandparent, great-grandparent, uncle, aunt and neighbour who held this precious, fourteen-month-old baby boy in their arms could have easily been infected, all with just a drop of spittle, burp or cough.

He says while statistics show that babies will recover, for the more vulnerable in our society, this simple act of affection could be a death sentence.

The Prime Minister says by the grace of God, the government’s aggressive contact tracing exercise has so far proven very effective, identifying two additional patients who were already safely placed in isolation.