Fiji has upgraded restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19 as the country continued to witness growing COVID-19 cases and deaths.
Fiji recorded 126 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, taking the total tally to 2,090, and the recovered patients reached 532, while the death toll stood at seven, according to the health ministry.
The Ministry of Health is also monitoring the death of a 42-year-old man at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva.
Permanent Secretary for Health James Fong said the man's death is currently being investigated by doctors to determine if it will be classified as a COVID-19 related death.
Fong added that there are 1,542 active cases in isolation.
Fiji has been facing a severe outbreak since April this year, and the country has imposed more restrictions to curb community transmission.
The Fiji Police and Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) personnel have set up checkpoints to ensure that no one comes out of Qauia as a two-day lockdown started on Tuesday.
Qauia, a settlement in Lami town with a five-minute drive from capital Suva, was under lockdown after local infections were reported.
The Ministry said that the exercise is an opportunity to trace COVID-19-like symptoms and travel histories to detect potential infections.
Mobile Screening Teams would visit households of interest and the physical boundary would be determined by the RFMF COVID-19 taskforce. Health officials and Police teams would conduct screening, tracing and swabbing in the 48-hour lockdown period.
The ministry has also advised residents within the marked area to stay home and avoid any contact with people from other households.
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