Fiji recorded nine deaths and 626 new locally acquired cases of Covid-19 in the 24 hours to 8am yesterday. (Photo / Fiji Government, Facebook)

Covid 19 coronavirus: Request to move patient from Fiji to New Zealand for treatment declined

Author: NZ Herald,
Publish Date: Tue, 27 Jul 2021, 8:27PM

A bid to have a Covid-positive patient in Fiji transferred to New Zealand has been declined.

The Ministry of Health confirmed tonight it had received a formal request for a person in Fiji to be moved to New Zealand for treatment, but declined the request on clinical grounds.

"A planned air transfer of a patient with Covid-19 requiring hospital-level care has been declined following advice from the Intensive Care Unit directors of the three Auckland metro DHBs that, given other commitments, there is not sufficient capacity to currently take the patient."

The decision had been communicated to the appropriate Fijian authorities.

Fiji recorded nine deaths and 626 new locally acquired cases of Covid-19 in the 24 hours to 8am Sunday, RNZ reported.

That compared to 684 infections and five deaths in the previous 24-hour period.

Fiji now has over 17,000 active Covid cases in isolation.