People are advised not to rely on rumours and misleading reports regarding COVID-19 cases in the country, and to only get factual information after the Health Ministry has conducted it’s tests and made a determination on lockdowns or containment areas.
Contact tracing, screening and testing is underway in many parts of the country at the moment. Some residents have also been told to self-quarantine while test results will be revealed by the Health Ministry.
fijivillage stresses that the positive test results will only be revealed by the Ministry.
It would also make the work of the officials harder if they are containing an area because of a real risk and people getting bad information panic and flee the area. This would make matters worse for the whole country.
Do not be alarmed when you see Health Ministry officials in your area as they may be just conducting tests and contact tracing.
Please ensure you are following the COVID-19 guidelines – download and keep the careFiji app on, continue to wash your hands or use hand sanitizers and wear face masks when out amongst the members of the public.
Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong says they are still seeing some media outlets bypassing official sources, publishing stories without the proper context and sparking panic among the public.
He says that sort of reckless reporting can set back this entire containment strategy.
Doctor Fong says it puts lives in danger, driving people to make bad decisions with bad information.
He says they hold briefings, every day, to get people the best available information, and they wait until they have the facts so that they can be communicated as clearly as possible to the public.
Doctor Fong says we don’t deal in rumours, we rely on facts and the media must hold themselves to that same standard.
He stresses that the media should not publish panicked nonsense for the sake of likes on Facebook or clicks on the website as the nation needs you to do better.
Stay safe and stay with fijivillage for all the facts.
There are also serious concerns being raised regarding some media outlets sending journalists and cameramen to the Wainitarawau Settlement containment area in Cunningham.
One television station even had interviews with residents at the containment area yesterday.
A woman from this settlement is the latest COVID-19 patient and her and her family are in isolation at the Navua Hospital.
fijivillage has received calls from concerned members of the public regarding the report from Fiji TV where a reporter is seen doing interviews with residents in the containment area.
We have sent questions to Fiji TV regarding this issue and are awaiting their response.
Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations
