Fiji now has 15 confirmed COVID-19 cases after the husband of the Zumba classmate of the first patient in the country, tested positive of COVID-19.
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says this was a case they had expected for some time and, this 33 year old man did not develop any symptoms until after he was safely in isolation and posed no risk to the public.
This is the sixth confirmed transmission that can be traced back to the first case. All the 15 patients remain in stable condition.
Lautoka residents should remain on alert as the threat of COVID-19 and TC Harold remains - PM
The Prime Minister says the lifting of the lockdown in Lautoka does not mean life is going back to normal; it’s not cause for celebration or an excuse to play loose with the rules.
Voreqe Bainimarama says the 8pm to 5am nationwide curfew applies everywhere.
He says the ban on all social gatherings applies everywhere and the requirement to keep a safe distance of two metres applies everywhere.
Bainimarama says Police officers are stepping up surveillance in Lautoka from today to make sure no one takes this as an opportunity to skirt any of the directives. The Prime Minister if you see any rule-breaking, speak up. If you feel symptoms, visit a fever clinic or call 158.
Cyclones can kill, and so can coronavirus, follow the directives - PM
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says Tropical Cyclone Harold will enter the Fijian waters tomorrow, and we can expect strong winds and heavy rain in the Yasawa and Mamanuca groups, Viti Levu, Kadavu, the Lomaiviti Group and the Southern Lau Group. Bainimarama says if any areas under lockdown see serious flooding and need to be evacuated, the government has contingency plans in place to prevent any mixing between evacuees and Fijians who are close contacts of existing COVID-positive patients.
The Prime Minister says all evacuation centres will also be sanitised, and regularly monitored to ensure that they are not filled beyond capacity. Bainimarama says through this storm, he wants to again stress that the directives given by the authorities are not voluntary. He says they are not suggestions.
The Prime Minister says they are orders that must be followed, for your safety and the safety of those around you. Bainimarama advises people to stay away from floodwaters. If you’ve been directed to evacuate, please do so while the sun is out. If you have not been told to move, do the right thing and stay put at home.
Continue to put humanity first as 68 missionaries leave their bags to allow 11 Fijians to come back home - PM
The Prime Minister says 68 missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints left their bags and possessions behind in Kiribati, to get 11 Fijians back home.
Voreqe Bainimarama says our national carrier, Fiji Airways, organised a charter flight on board an A350 which safely carried 300 missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from Nadi to Utah in the United States over the weekend.
Bainimarama says before departing for the U.S, Fiji Airways organised regional flights from across the Pacific to bring these missionaries to Nadi ahead of their trans-Pacific flight to Salt Lake City. On the flight from Kiribati to Nadi, 11 Fijians were able to fly back home to Fiji. To cut the weight of cargo and allow these 11 Fijians to make it aboard, 68 missionaries left their bags and possessions behind in Kiribati.
Bainimarama says thanks to their sacrifice, these Fijians are all safely back in Fiji, where they will be reunited with their families after a mandatory two-week quarantine. He says this is a profound demonstration of what it means to put humanity first and what it means to have love and compassion for your fellow human beings.
Bainimarama says vinaka to all who helped bring these 11 Fijians home.
He says in the weeks and months to come, serious sacrifices may be demanded from all of us, as long as we use compassion as our guiding principle, there is no challenge we the Fijian people cannot overcome.
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