SUVA, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Fiji reported Saturday its second confirmed case of COVID-19 following a 27-year-old national flight attendant who tested positive on Thursday.
Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said in a statement on Saturday that the second confirmed case of this virus is the first patient's mother who developed symptoms soon after entering isolation in Nadi Hospital and her results came back positive on Saturday.
This is the the first locally-transmitted case in the island nation. Like his son, who is in a stable condition in Lautoka Hospital, she remains in isolation in Nadi Hospital where she is in a stable condition.
The prime minister confirmed that those including foreign nationals who came into contact with the flight attendant will have to remain isolated. And the testing on people who had come into contact with the first patient is continuing.
The 27-year-old man, a Fiji Airways attendant, came back from Auckland, New Zealand on Tuesday. He had a history of being in San Francisco, the United States within 14 days. He had no fever on checking nor did he have any cough at the airport. His temperature was normal.
He was at Lautoka hospital the same evening, saying he had a fall on the plane and had mild chest pain. His samples were tested positive on Thursday.
To contain the spread of the virus, Fiji has taken a number of stricter measures, including the lockdown of Lautoka, the second largest city of the country. All measures will be reviewed after 14 days.
