SUVA, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) — Fiji has recorded five new COVID-19 deaths, bringing the total number of deaths in the country to 17 since the confirmation of the third wave of COVID-19.

Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Health James Fong said on Tuesday three of five new deaths were fully vaccinated, one man was not jabbed, and  another one had received only one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Some 461 new COVID-19 cases have been recorded by the Health Ministry since Saturday, while 368 of these new cases were recorded on Sunday and 93 in the last 24 hours ending at 8:00 a.m. local time on Monday.

Meanwhile, schools in Fiji that were supposed to resume classes this week have not opened, as more than 500 teachers have been infected with COVID-19 and will not be able to go back to school classes, reported Fiji Teachers Union General Secretary Agni Deo Singh.

Read more: COVID-19 infections rise to 532,167 in Myanmar

The Ministry of Education has not confirmed the reports of the more than 500 teachers infected with COVID-19, but the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday the current COVID-19 positive cases in the community naturally mean that a few students and teachers will get infected.

It said schools have a higher degree of control in terms of following COVID-19 safety protocols. They have developed communication resources that have been widely circulated on COVID-19 safe measures.

The Education Ministry  has made it clear that parents of children with pre-existing conditions must get advice from their doctors.

To date, the total tally of COVID-19 infections in Fiji rise to 57,849, with 714 deaths.

Fong said 92.4 percent of the adult population were fully vaccinated, while just over 40,000 children aged 12-17 had received both doses of the vaccine.