By Josefa Babitu in Suva
The dream of putting a smile on his mother’s face on his graduation day from university has become one that will never happen for Gabriel Gade, after his mother succumbed to the coronavirus that has killed dozens of people in Fiji.
“My ultimate dream was to make her proud of all her sacrifices, battles in life and the love she gave me over the last 21 years of my life,” he told
Asia Pacific Report.
“My mother had to work all the time to pay off the mortgage, and I could tell that she was exhausted most of the time, but I think it was her love for her children that kept her going every day.
Fiji business owners in the west want lockdown rnz.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from rnz.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
She was taken by a medical team to the Colonial War Memorial Hospital and was assessed by specialists, he said. “Her baby was safely delivered by emergency caesarean section two days later. Sadly, her condition worsened and she died five days after admission on 21 July,” Fong said. The other victims are:
A 50-year-old man from Suva died at home on July 25.
A 61-year-old woman from Tacirua presented to a health facility in severe respiratory distress. She was taken to the Colonial War Memorial Hospital. Her condition worsened and she died 11 days after admission on July 24. Her family reported that she had a cough, fever, shortness of breath and a reduced appetite one week prior to her going to the health centre.
Photo: AFP
That compares to 468 cases and 11 deaths in the previous 24-hour period.
Health Secretary Dr James Fong said 12 other Covid-positive people had died however, he said their deaths were not caused by the virus but due to serious pre-existing medical conditions.
Dr Fong said all the victims were unvaccinated against Covid-19. A 73-year-old woman from Namoli Village in Lautoka presented to the Lautoka Hospital Emergency Department in severe respiratory distress on 19 July. Her condition worsened at the hospital and she died on the same day. A 96-year-old woman from Nadera in Nasinu died at home on 22 July. A 67-year-old woman from the capital Suva also died at home on 22 July.
Covid-19 in Fiji: 11 more deaths, 468 new cases rnz.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from rnz.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.