Bula vinaka everyone.
Here is another edition of some basic information you may need to know for today.
First, here is your weather forecast for today:
Weather
- A weak trough of low pressure remains slow moving to the west of the Fiji group.
- The associated cloud and showers affect parts of the country.
- The trough of low pressure continues to weaken as it drifts to the north of Fiji by later today.
- Forecast to midnight tomorrow for the Fiji group: Cloudy periods with some showers and afternoon or evening thunderstorms over Macuata and Cakaudrove, northern Ba and Ra, greater Suva/Nausori & Tailevu, Interior Ra, Naitasiri & Serua-Namosi, Lau and Lomaiviti group.
- Fine apart from afternoon or evening showers and thunderstorms elsewhere.
- Isolated heavy falls expected in the afternoon and evening.
- Moderate to fresh northeasterly winds.
- Moderate to rough seas.
- Outlook for Saturday : Cloudy periods with some and isolated thunderstorms over greater Suva/Nausori & Tailevu, Naitasiri & Serua-Namosi, Lau and Lomaiviti group, Cakaudrove and southern Bua.
- Elsewhere, fine apart from afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms.
- Isolated afternoon and evening heavy falls expected.
COVID-19 daily press briefing
- The Permanent Secretary of Health and Medical Services will issue updated statements – this can be accessed via the Fijian Government FB page.
COVID-19 vaccination
- Stay alert and monitor radio announcements and check the Government’s Facebook page to get the updated schedule of the mobile vaccination teams in your communities.
General information
- FNU launch of the new research centre, Pacific Action Climate Transitions (PACT)3pm at GPH hotel, Suva
EFL Planned Power Shutdown
- Waila Treatment Plant Road – 5pm to 1am
- Ratu Dovi Road, Nepani – 8am to 4pm
Editor’s movie picks:
- Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar 1:45pm, 8:30pm at Life Cinema Lautoka; 1:40pm, 5:10pm, 8:40pm at Life Cinema Nadi; 11:10am, 2:15pm, 8:40pm at Life Cinema Nakasi; 1:50pm, 5:15pm, 8:40pm at life Cinema Labasa
- Shazam! Fury of the Gods – 10.50am, 1.30pm, 5.10pm, 8.30pm at Village 6, Suva
COVID-19
Health Ministry advice:
- People with severe COVID-19 are still dying at home, or are coming to a medical facility in the late stages of severe illness.
- Severe COVID-19 is a medical emergency, and a delay in receiving appropriate medical treatment reduces your chance of recovering from the disease. You are at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 if you are over the age of 50 or have a non-communicable disease or chronic disease like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, kidney disease, or if you are obese or pregnant.
- If you are at high risk of severe disease and have any symptoms of COVID-19 such as a cough, runny nose, fever, sore throat, body ache, headache, loss of taste/smell – please come to your nearest screening clinic to be checked and tested by our medical teams.
- The severe symptoms of COVID-19, include the following: – Difficulty breathing; – Persistent pain or pressure in the chest; – Severe headache for a few days; – New confusion, inability to wake or stay awake; – Pale, gray, or blue-coloured skin, lips or nail beds.
Source: MOHMS
On 26 November 2021, WHO designated the variant B.1.1.529 a variant of concern, named Omicron, on the advice of WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution (TAG-VE). This decision was based on the evidence presented to the TAG-VE that Omicron has several mutations that may have an impact on how it behaves, for example, on how easily it spreads or the severity of illness it causes. Here is a summary of what is currently known.
Current knowledge about Omicron
Researchers in South Africa and around the world are conducting studies to better understand many aspects of Omicron and will continue to share the findings of these studies as they become available.
Transmissibility: It is not yet clear whether Omicron is more transmissible (e.g., more easily spread from person to person) compared to other variants, including Delta. The number of people testing positive has risen in areas of South Africa affected by this variant, but epidemiologic studies are underway to understand if it is because of Omicron or other factors.
Severity of disease: It is not yet clear whether infection with Omicron causes more severe disease compared to infections with other variants, including Delta. Preliminary data suggests that there are increasing rates of hospitalization in South Africa, but this may be due to increasing overall numbers of people becoming infected, rather than a result of specific infection with Omicron. There is currently no information to suggest that symptoms associated with Omicron are different from those from other variants. Initial reported infections were among university students—younger individuals who tend to have more mild disease—but understanding the level of severity of the Omicron variant will take days to several weeks. All variants of COVID-19, including the Delta variant that is dominant worldwide, can cause severe disease or death, in particular for the most vulnerable people, and thus prevention is always key.
Source: WHO
