Rural South Island ambulances arrive in Covid-stricken Fiji

Four all-terrain ambulances from Otago, medical equipment and PPE donated by St John New Zealand to their Fijian counterparts were handed over by NZ High Commissioner Jonathan Curr on Monday.

Rear Admiral Viliame Naupoto, the St John Council representative, and St John Fiji CEO Emma Bovoro welcomed the ambulances, two from Queenstown and one each from Glenorchy and Wanaka, and supplies at a ceremony in Suva.

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"Our current fleet of ambulances are engaged in the fight against Covid-19," said Rear Admiral Naupoto.

"The four ambulances will help in the fight to save lives. Thank you, New Zealand," he said.

Fiji is battling widespread Covid-19 infections with 603 new cases recorded to 8am Monday morning, bringing the total active cases to 24,420.

Eighteen deaths from the disease were recorded between August 4 and 9 bringing the total death toll to 317. The number of cases since the second wave started in April this year is 37,512.

St John New Zealand responded to a request from Fiji in July for assistance amid growing Covid-19 numbers as the pandemic rages across the Pacific island nation.

 - additional reporting ODT