Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama has announced that the health directives will remain for now as Fiji does not want to risk a second wave of COVID-19.
Fiji currently has 3 active COVID-19 cases and 15 cases have fully recovered.
Bainimarama has announced that the nationwide curfew will remain in effect from 10pm until 5am every day.
He also says social gatherings must be limited to 20 people or fewer. Gyms, nightclubs, cinemas and swimming pools will remain closed, as will houses of worship. Contact sports are still not allowed to be played. Schools will also remain closed as well until the 12th of June 2020.
The Prime Minister says existing quarantine protocols will remain in place, including for Fijians returning overseas. These repatriating Fijians will immediately enter 14 days of quarantine in government funded facilities. At the end of the 14 day period, if they test negative for the virus, they can complete their remaining 14 days of self-quarantine at home.
Bainimarama says China is already seeing a second wave of infections and Europe is bracing for the same.
He stresses we cannot risk a second wave of Fijian infections; that is why, for the time being, all of the health protection directives will remain in full effect.
Gradual scale-back in the next few weeks but the good health habits should remain - PM
The Prime Minister has confirmed that in the coming weeks, they will finalise the game plan for a gradual scale-back of some of health protection directives.
Voreqe Bainimarama says no matter how confident we are that this virus has been defeated, the most critical restrictions aren’t going anywhere.
He says the good habits that we’ve picked up over the past few months – physical distancing, regular handwashing, staying home or wearing face masks when we’re sick, not sharing takis and bilos, and keeping a clean working environment – must become new ways of Fijian life.
Bainimarama says we cannot risk falling back into life-risking bad habits.
More than 800,000 Fijians screened and new contact tracing app developed
Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama says they have already health screened over 800,000 Fijians through the largest healthcare mobilisation campaign in Fijian history, and in the coming weeks they will massively step-up testing as well.
Bainimarama says under the digitalFIJI initiative, a mobile app called “careFIJI” has been developed that will harness our phones’ Bluetooth technology to make any future contact tracing faster, easier, and more effective. He says it will do so all while protecting the privacy of the user. Bainimarama says if enough Fijians use careFIJI, they will be able to avoid large-scale lockdowns entirely. He says more importantly, widespread adoption of careFIJI will help save lives, bring back jobs, and increase confidence among our tourism and trading partners.
The Prime Minister says this app comes from the very same technology that has been widely adopted by millions of Singaporeans and Australians in their own fights to contain the virus - meaning that its success will help pave the way to safely re-opening our borders to visitors.
He says when that day comes, tourists will be able to download careFIJI upon landing, giving them the confidence that Fiji has COVID-19 firmly under control. They are aiming to launch a pilot programme of the app as soon as they get approval from the Android PlayStore and Apple AppStore.
Bainimarama says the government needs you to download this app when it’s available, just as they need you to continue to adhere to every one of the life-saving directives.
More than 1,000 tests have also been done so far.
Minister for Economy to announce more support for the unemployed in partnership with the FNPF
Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama says early next week, the Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum will announce the second round of COVID-19 unemployment benefits to be paid out in partnership with FNPF to aid those Fijians whose employers have been severely impacted by this crisis.
Bainimarama says they are also closely monitoring and working with businesses in various sectors and financial institutions to provide targeted support.
He says the coronavirus is the challenge of our generation.
Bainimarama says if the campaign presses onwards to total victory, when the history books recount the difficulty of this period, they will tell of how Fijians led the way in beating this virus for good.
Bainimarama says we cannot risk falling back into life-risking bad habits.
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