There has been a blatant disregard of COVID-19 safe measures.
This is what fijivillage witnessed when we visited the Suva Bus Stand and Suva’s popular night spots between 6pm to 7.30pm last night.
We saw people walking and standing next to each other and not wearing masks, bus drivers allowing passengers inside without masks, bus drivers not wearing masks, bouncers of two nightclubs not wearing masks, groups of boys sharing cigarettes and drinks, people inside supermarkets without masks and minibuses and buses breaching the passenger capacity rule.
Many of those sitting next to each other at the bus terminals were not wearing masks.
Fijivillage also noticed that as soon as people sat down in the buses, they took off their masks.
We did not see police officers in the areas we visited during these times.
Police Commissioner Brigadier-General Sitiveni Qiliho has told fijivillage that there has been a general lackadaisical attitude to COVID restrictions recently and that has been worrying for the Fiji Police Force, the Ministry of Health and the Government.
Qiliho says they have discussed with their Minister and the Minister for Health regarding those who are not following the COVID-19 protocols. He adds they had some briefings on having surge operations in Fiji to enforce the measures that are supposed to be in place.
Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong stresses that all of us who live in Fiji need to understand that any large resurgence in COVID-19 cases is likely to undermine our social and economic recovery program, irrespective of whether it’s from the Delta variant or the entry of the Omicron variant.
With the level of complacency rising and people not adhering to the COVID safe measures, people are reminded that while they continue to be concerned about the Omicron variant, we still have the Delta variant in Fiji which can cause severe illness mainly for those people who are not vaccinated.
People continue to be seen with no masks in buses, crowded gatherings and functions indoors. We have also witnessed that many people are not scanning the CareFiji QR Code in and out of supermarkets and other businesses.
While responding to our questions, Doctor Fong says he has requested all spotters from Health, Commerce and Security Ministries to escalate the fining of individuals and corporate bodies where there is evidence of non-compliance of COVID safe measures.
Doctor Fong says these spot fines must be seen as a means to promote COVID safe measures; as such, it is not the intention that every single transgression will be picked up and fined.
He says the teams are being reorganized to facilitate this.
When asked on what is his message to the adults who are fully vaccinated and are not adhering to the COVID safe measures despite many unvaccinated children in the country, Doctor Fong says it is the irresponsible behaviour of adults who organize big gatherings without ensuring COVID safe practices and therefore no regard for the educational aspirations of our children that he finds very disappointing at this time.
Doctor Fong says our children need to get back to school, and we need to ensure all COVID safe measures continue to be followed.
When asked on whether MOH has worked out the total eligible population for vaccination including children as many children are not vaccinated, Doctor Fong says they have the data and they are using it to refine their strategy based on the fact that most parents will have been vaccinated and support vaccination.
He says once school starts, they will continue the vaccination program.
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