The district of Lutu in Naitasiri has enforced a total lockdown in their three villages of Lutu, Navuniyaro and Nanukuloa as a safety measure after an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases reported in Naitasiri.
Lutu Village Headman Joji Rinakama says one of the current cases is from a village next to theirs and they have taken this action to prevent the virus from reaching their village.
Rinakama says other measures that they have enforced is one person from a family to go out and shop on an allocated shopping day.
He says one of the three villages have a shopping day each to prevent them from crowding up at the supermarket in Sawani.
Rinakama says they are also keeping a watchful eye on grog drinking in every household as they know that this can be a super spreader of COVID-19.
He says for now, families are only allowed to drink grog in their own homes on Fridays and Saturdays and no other day.
Rinakama says they will not allow anyone to enter their villages until there are no more cases. This is apart from the villagers that go out shopping.
He says all entry points to the villages are now closed and checkpoints have been manned by villagers day and night.
