The Nadi Chamber of Commerce President, Doctor Ram Raju says tens of thousands of people in Nadi and other towns are without jobs and without sources of funds to buy essentials as Nadi remains a containment zone.
Doctor Raju says the $90 government payouts and FNPF withdrawals was only a temporary relief but thousands are still suffering.
He says Nadi and other towns in the Western Division are suffering in silence for far too long.
Doctor Raju says for Nadi, there has not been a single case recorded in the last 4 to 5 weeks and yet 90% of the businesses are closed.
He says Lautoka Hospital will reopen after 21 days of being COVID free.
The Nadi Chamber of Commerce President says it is illogical for them to remain a containment zone even after 4 weeks of COVID free.
He says they have now heard that the Ministry of Health is planning to send COVID contact cases to hotels in Nadi for quarantine which is strongly opposed by all the members.
Doctor Raju says it was a breach of protocols in one of the hotels in Nadi which had led to the second dangerous wave of COVID-19 and the rest is history.
He says this is the final straw that will break their backs in Nadi as they have endured the economic catastrophe never imagined before in our history.
Doctor Raju says everyone knows that they were the worst affected since the collapse of the tourism industry since the first case was reported on 19th March 2020.
He says there are certainly other avenues where the clusters can be taken care of in the Central Division rather than posing a risk again in Nadi.
The Nadi Chamber of Commerce President says the swift lockdown of Lautoka Hospital and other containment efforts has paid dividends and is a clear testament of the success in winning the war.
He says this can be applied similarly in the hot spot areas in the Suva and Nausori corridor.
Doctor Raju is making a special plea to the government to allow businesses in Nadi to open now but with the strictest COVID-19 health guidelines or protocols.
He says hundreds or thousands of business houses are unable to pay their rent or even the electricity bills which are already due and EFL will not consider any delays in payments nor offer any rebates or discounts.
Meanwhile the Health Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Dr James Fong says they are reviewing their restrictions in the West and North and will be making more definitive announcements in the next few days.
Dr. Fong says they have received more detailed data regarding the effectiveness of the containment measures in the Northern and Western Divisions.
