Why we must be vigilant

NOW we are told we have community transmission throughout Fiji of both the Omicron and Delta variants of the virus that causes COVID-19. That’s the word from Health Ministry permanent secretary Dr James Fong. In a virus update issued on Monday, he announced 580 new cases and two deaths. Of the 580 cases recorded since the last update, 146 cases were in the Northern Division; 111 in the Western Division, 303 in the Central Division, and 20 in the Eastern Division. The positive was that the ministry continued to record lower than expected hospitalisation numbers despite the resurgence in cases. “The results of positive samples sent to the Doherty Institute in Melbourne (Australia) for genomic sequencing have confirmed, as expected, that we have community transmission throughout Fiji of both Omicron and Delta variants of the virus that causes COVID-19,” Dr Fong confirmed. This will raise many questions though. When did this happen? And how did this happen? We Our challenge is to adhere strictly to COVID-19 safety protocols. While there is concern about the turn of events, especially in the face of a return to school, we have an opportunity to do the right thing. In fact we must! We know what must be done! We know why we must adhere to all the rules. We know why we must wear masks properly. We are buoyed by initial reviews about the effect of the Omicron variant. This isn’t reason though to be complacent. So let’s focus on getting ourselves out of this predicament. Let’s do the little things that matter. Wear a mask today when out in public. Wash your hands often with soap and water. Keep good physical distancing. Cut out unnecessary travel, cut out unnecessary social gatherings, and be vigilant! We are now in a tough fight very early in the new year! THE FIRST NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED IN THE WORLD EVERY DAY realise it was inevitable that the virus would spread. However, to be suddenly told that it is now in the community is a major concern. “As Omicron spreads very fast, you should assume you are infected, and self-isolate if you develop any cold/ flu-like symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, sore throat, cough, body ache, fever,” we are told. “You are at higher risk of severe disease if you are over the age of 50, or have any significant chronic disease like heart disease, kidney disease, lung disease, diabetes, hypertension or you are obese or pregnant,” Dr Fong said. “If anyone in your home is at higher risk of developing severe disease, please try to isolate yourself away from them.” We are concerned by the turn of events. However, this isn’t the time to be complacent.