The government maintains there is no need to impose a complete shutdown of the country. According to the Health Ministry, the average deaths per day is eight, while the daily average infection is 1039 cases or 1174 per million population. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has placed Fiji on level 4 of its covid-alert due to the growing number of cases in the Pacific nation. Professor Fiona Russell from the University of Melbourne said reports that more people are dying from the virus in Fiji should be a concern. She said the mutation of the delta strain could happen. ‘Characteristic of all viruses’