Fiji will reopen its border to travel partner countries from 11th November.
The list of travel partners includes Australia, New Zealand, United States of America, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Canada, Qatar, Germany, Spain, France, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Japan and most Pacific Island countries and Territories.
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says to come to Fiji, travellers must have spent at least 10 days in any of these places.
He stresses that this list isn’t fixed and countries can be added as they achieve widespread vaccination of their population.
Bainimarama adds Fiji will have a no jab, no-fly policy.
Bainimarama adds there will be no traditional quarantine requirements.
The Prime Minister says instead there will be different sets of requirements for tourists, residents and those visiting friends and family.
Tourists from travel-partner countries will have no quarantine requirement from 11th November onward ahead of the official reopening on 1 December.
Bainimarama says instead, after showing proof of vaccination and testing negative for the virus 72 hours before their departure, they will arrive in Fiji and head straight to their hotel.
He says tourists will spend their first two days in Fiji on their hotel premises.
He says they are drawing up the borders of those travel-safe areas now and they will be large enough for tourists to enjoy the best of Fiji but restrictive enough to protect areas with low vaccination coverage.
Bainimarama adds for returning residents from travel-partner countries or those visiting friends and relatives, the protocols are a bit different.
He says these travellers will want to leave the travel-safe areas and they can.
Bainimarama adds after spending three days on hotel premises in Fiji, a negative COVID-19 test result will allow these travellers to enter Fijian communities in any location.
He says for travellers from countries that are not yet travel-safe partners, fully vaccinated travellers must complete a ten-day stint in a traditional quarantine centre upon arrival in Fiji before a negative COVID-19 test result clears them to enter the community.
Bainimarama adds the first scheduled tourism flight to the country on Fiji Airways will be on 1st December.
The curfew hours is now from 11pm to 4am.
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama confirms once 90 % of adults are fully vaccinated, the curfew hours will be from midnight to 4am.
He says once they have the data to show that the virus no longer presents a serious public health threat, they will lift the curfew entirely.
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says Year 12 and 13 students will resume classes from 1st November.
While announcing the easing of COVID restrictions today, Bainimarama says the Ministry of Education will announce the reopening of schools for other classes later.
Bainimarama says they are prioritizing the Years 12 and 13 because many of these students are preparing for University or vocational training and they are at an important point in their academic careers.
The Prime Minister has urged parents to get their children vaccinated before classes resume.
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says nearly all businesses, workplaces, including public transportation can operate at 80% capacity to children and fully vaccinated adults.
He says the only exception to this relaxation are taverns, bars and gaming venues.
Bainimarama adds these are high risk businesses.
He confirms they will be announcing a set of protocols that will take effect from 11th November that will allow these venues to open to fully vaccinated members of the public.
All venues have to use VAX Check tool to verify the vaccine status of the patrons
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says they will continue to enforce a mask mandate for all indoor public venues, on public transportation and in crowded public settings like markets, shopping malls and bus stands.
He says the police remain empowered to issue spot fines to rule breakers.
Bainimarama confirms in all other settings outside homes, mask wearing is still strongly encouraged but you will not be required to wear a mask if you are walking at the sea wall, going for jogging, walking for exercise, having a picnic at the beach and gathering in homes.
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has highlighted that contact sports can resume and there will be no restrictions on the size of outdoor gatherings.
Bainimarama says indoor gatherings can operate at 80% capacity and everyone attending must be fully vaccinated.
He says stadiums can open for operations and spectators must be fully vaccinated.
He adds if people are sitting in close proximity at an organised sporting event, they must wear masks.
As workplaces, businesses and public transport can now operate at 80% capacity to children and fully vaccinated adults, Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong says all COVID-19 safe discipline measures will still be applied.
Doctor Fong says people have to continue with the 2 metres physical distancing and other measures.
He says all COVID-19 safe measures are applied along with vaccination to contain the virus.
He says the first wave of the influenza came in the early 1900s and a similar wave came in 2009.
Dr. Fong says they are still seeing flu cases that began from cases in 2009.
He adds this means COVID-19 will also be around for sometime.
As Year 12 and 13 students go back to school from November 1st, Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong says they want students to be masked up in the classrooms, when they are gathering outdoors or in any confined space.
He says the two-metre physical distancing will apply especially when they are indoors but the most important thing is that there should be escalated ventilation.
Dr. Fong says this means fans will be used to move air around the classroom and also to point outwards to suck air out.
He says they are still having discussions on protocols for students with the school management boards.
The Permanent Secretary adds the protocols will be ready and approved in about two weeks.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says the Ministry of Education will announce the reopening of schools for other classes later.
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