17 January, 2026, 12:52 pm Central - 26°C Rain

Gavoka says Delta Variant moved around the community because controls were removed by the Govt and blaming people is uncaring - Gavoka

Gavoka says Delta Variant moved around the community because controls were removed by the Govt and blaming people is uncaring - Gavoka

By Vijay Narayan , Dhanjay Deo
16/07/2021
SODELPA Leader, Viliame Gavoka.

SODELPA Leader, Viliame Gavoka says Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama needs to be reminded that his Government made it possible for the Delta Variant to move by removing controls aimed at keeping the virus at bay and blaming the people comes across as very casual and uncaring.

The SODELPA Leader says in a press conference yesterday, the Prime Minister yet again blamed the people for the increase in the number of COVID-19 infections in the country.

Gavoka says Fiji’s national 7-day average daily test positivity currently stands at 18 percent, surpassing the World Health Organization’s 5 percent threshold and this is expected to increase.

He says the records show that the second wave of infection started with the opening of our borders to incoming flights from India via Singapore.

Gavoka adds now we have over 11,000 active cases and moving closer to 100 deaths.

He says just two weeks ago, the Ministry of Trade gave approval to open shops and the spread of the virus skyrocketed with several businesses being the point of interest to the Ministry of Health.

The SODELPA Leader says the strategies put in place, if there was one, to control the spread of COVID-19 has failed miserably and even some businesspeople are calling for extreme measures, a lockdown, but the Prime Minister and the Attorney-General are not listening to those calls.

Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama stated yesterday that the number of COVID-19 cases are increasing in the Central Division because people are not following COVID protocols, and the only way to ensure that the cases do not rise further is to follow all the COVID-19 safe measures.

Bainimarama adds following the COVID protocols is the next best thing to lockdowns.

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