This is not a time for finger-pointing or blaming – Dr Fong

Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong says this is not a time for finger-pointing or blaming.

He says there’s a great deal of frustration among the public, and on social media, aimed at the quarantine guards that were at the epicenter of this latest COVID-19 outbreak.

Doctor Fong says the fact that quarantine guards, who were on the front lines of containing COVID for a full year, suffered a lapse that allowed the virus to escape into Viti Levu is evidence of how unforgiving this virus is of even the smallest lack of care or act of forgetfulness.

He says if it can happen to them, it can happen to you.

Doctor Fong is asking people to please be vigilant and to be relentless in following the procedures the experts have laid out for staying safe.

He also says he was sent some photos yesterday from Serua Province of community leaders implementing lockdown measures to protect the families in the area.

Doctor Fong says no one mandated them to act.

He says they have done so for the simple reason that they care about protecting their communities.

Doctor Fong says the Prime Minister also wants to be sure this message reaches every Fijian who needs to hear it, so he has asked that Doctor Fong’s entire statement be translated into the vernacular languages.

He encourages leaders looking to inspire urgency within their communities to share the messages, and then do one better by seeing the health measures enacted at the community level.