A woman who recently gave birth is among 18 people that have died from Covid-19 in Fiji.

The government also confirmed 603 new cases for the 24 hours to 8am yesterday.

That compares with 657 cases and three deaths in the previous 24-hour period.

Health Secretary Doctor James Fong said all the victims had died between 4-9 August and were not vaccinated.

He said 11 of the deaths were reported in the Western Division and seven from the Central Division.

* An 83-year-old man from Lautoka presented to the Lautoka Hospital in severe respiratory distress on 6 August. He died four days.

* A 79-year-old woman from Sigatoka was declared dead on arrival by the attending medical officer at the Sigatoka Sub-Divisional Hospital on 6 August. Dr Fong said this means that she died at home or on her way to the hospital.

* An 86-year-old man from Sigatoka was declared dead on arrival by the attending medical officer at the Sigatoka Sub-Divisional Hospital on 5 August. Dr Fong said he either died at home or on his way to the hospital.

* A 70-year-old man from Nadi presented to a medical facility in severe respiratory distress on 7 August. His condition worsened at the health centre and he died on the same day.

* A 75-year-old man from Lautoka was declared dead on arrival by the attending medical officer at the Lautoka Hospital on 6 August. Dr Fong he died at home or on his way to the hospital.

* An 83-year-old woman from Lautoka was also declared dead on arrival by the attending medical officer at the Lautoka Hospital on 6 August. This means that she died at home or on her way to the hospital, Dr Fong said.

* An 80-year-old man from Lautoka was declared dead on arrival by the attending medical officer at the Lautoka Hospital on 6 August. Dr Fong said the man either died at home or on his way to the hospital.

* An 88-year-old man from Ba presented to the Ba Mission Hospital in respiratory distress on 5 August. He died two days later.

* A 49-year-old man from Nadi was declared dead on arrival by the attending medical officer at the Nadi Hospital on 8 August. This means that he died at home or on his way to the hospital.

* The 37-year-old mother from Nadi, who had recently given birth, presented to Nadi Hospital in severe respiratory distress on 2 August. She was reported to have had symptoms of cough and shortness of breath for five days. A medical team retrieved her and brought her to the Lautoka Hospital on the same day. She died five days later.

* A 48-year-old man from Lautoka presented to the Lautoka Hospital in severe respiratory distress on 6 August. He died two days.

* A 60-year-old woman from Dawasamu in Naitasiri presented to a medical facility in severe respiratory distress on 6 August. She died on the same day.

* A 63-year-old man from Nakasi in Nasinu died at home on 7 August.

* A 70-year-old woman also from Nakasi presented to the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in severe respiratory distress on 3 August. She died five days later.

* A 68-year-old man from Nasinu died at home on 9 August.

* A 72-year-old woman from Nausori died at home on 7 August.

* An 88-year-old woman from Naitasiri died at home on 8 August.

* An 81-year-old woman from Naitasiri also died at home on 8 August.

Early visit to hospital urged

Of the 18 deaths, five of them occurred at home, seven in hospital while six never made it to a medical facility and either died at home or on the way to get treatment.

The late presentation of pregnant women was one of the major issues, had of obstetrics and gynaecology unit at Fiji National University's (FNU) College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Litia

Narube said.

Speaking at the virtual FNU panel discussion in Suva on Monday, Narube said to think that Christians do not die from Covid-19 or are specially protected from the virus is false.

"Christians also die from Covid-19 so being in, you know, we're just seeing the things that affect people to not access the care that's available and care is free of charge so what is the hesitancy," she said.

Narube is pleading with Fijians, particularly pregnant women, to present themselves to the hospital early if they have symptoms of Covid-19.

"For whatever reason that you are at home nursing your flu-like symptoms, you know, maybe thinking that you need to try praying for the woman first or try the herbal medicine, the vevedu that everybody's talking about.

"We say yes to vevedu, we say yes to faith-based and praying, but we are asking you to bring the patient to the hospital first.

"That's what the plea is to present early and get the woman sorted because studies have shown that a woman who is infected with Covid-19 is more than 20 times at risk of dying.

"The evidence is out for vaccination, evidence is out for how Covid-19 is, how it affects pregnant women but now it's just trying to combat or trying to get people to understand the evidence, you know, compared with this coconut wireless that just takes over."

Fiji now has over 24,420 active cases in isolation, with 317 deaths - 315 of them from this latest outbreak that began in April.

* 293 new recoveries reported since the last update

* 19,088 active cases are in the Central Division and 5322 in the West

* 37,512 cases during the outbreak that started in April 2021

* 37,582 cases since the first case was reported in March 2020.

* 12,677 recoveries since March last year.