Fiji recorded its first COVID-19 case on March 19, 2020. This was after a former Fiji Airways flight attendant tested positive for COVID-19, in an imported case of the disease.
He had recently been to the United States and New Zealand and was admitted at the Lautoka Hospital. He later recovered from the virus.
Opening up for the first time in March this year he shared that days spent in quarantine at the COVID isolation unit were the darkest days of his life.
In April this year a soldier contracted COVID-19 at a quarantine facility. He had also interacted with a daytime staff, resulting in a 53-yearold maid also testing positive in April. The maid later spread the virus to those that she had attended a funeral with in Lautoka. The rest is history.
Local transmission forced the establishment of border closures, lockdowns, curfews, unemployment, closure of businesses including hotels and a lot more.
Schools were closed and the much anticipated secondary schools athletics competition, the Coca-Cola Games was cancelled. Like the effects of COVID-19 around the world Fiji has changed the way we now do things.
The journey has been tough…and while we look forward to some form of normalcy we know that the new normal means adhereing to COVID- 19 protocols.
Latest statistics show 50,200 cases were recorded since the April outbreak and 50, 270 cases recorded since 2020.
There have been 577 COVID-19 deaths recorded since the outbreak and 579 deaths since 2020. We have lost so many lives.
Let’s be responsible, practice good hygiene, vaccinate, wear a mask and maintain social distancing.
Do it for yourself, your family, your communities and our beloved Fiji.
Together we can do this!
