Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama has said in his national announcement that a period of 28 days of a hard lockdown, as some are calling for, cannot be strictly enforced everywhere in Fiji and their experts tell them it would not kill off the virus but it would kill jobs and it could kill our country's future.
While making it clear that there will be no lockdown, Bainimarama says they have not locked everyone in their homes for all hours of the day.
He says instead, the Government has given you the ability to shop for food, withdraw money, access medicine, go to work and sustain your livelihoods to provide for your families but he says that freedom comes with responsibility because every Fijian deserves to go about their business with an assurance of safety to interact, to transact, to shop, and to work under COVID safe protocols.
Bainimarama says that is why they are asking that all employers and employees in Fiji, including civil servants be vaccinated as a condition of their employment.
The Prime Minister says from next week, they are ramping up the vaccination campaign and giving new teeth to the enforcement of the health protection measures.
Bainimarama says the AstraZeneca vaccine has been shown to offer 92 percent protection against hospitalization from the Delta variant of COVID-19 present in the country.
The Prime Minister says with other, potentially deadlier variants spreading around the world, including the highly contagious Lambda variant next door in Australia, they cannot afford to waste time getting vaccinated and getting back the lives and livelihoods we know and love.
Bainimarama says he would not ask you to accept any medical treatment that he would not accept for himself.
He says he can tell you he has not been magnetized or microchipped by the vaccine, he has not received the mark of the beast, or any other creature.
The Prime Minister says the foolish few who sow doubt about the vaccine are speaking lies in defiance of faith, of facts, and of the duty of care that every Fijian owes to themselves and each other.
He says their lies can only lead to sad and preventable death from COVID-19.
Bainimarama says we must not fall prey to their false theories and prophecies.
He says God gave us brains so we can use them.
The Prime Minister says it is God who guided the hands of the scientists and doctors who developed these vaccines to protect us.
He says what is unsafe is the virus.
Bainimarama also says he understands that steam therapy and hot drinks are a comfort for some. He says you are free to try these treatments, though we must all understand that they are not a substitute for being vaccinated.
He says Fiji’s target population for vaccination is 586,651 adults.
Bainimarama says by 1st November 2021, Fiji expects to have at least 80 percent of that group fully vaccinated, which means two doses.
He says until that day arrives, we must demonstrate the basic responsibility to adhere to all of our COVID-safe measures.
Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations
