All public transport drivers and passengers are required to wear masks and have the careFiji app from today or they will not be allowed to be in the vehicle.
While speaking during a press conference, Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong has thanked people who have started wearing masks however he is calling on everyone to wear a mask.
He also stresses to people to ensure you cover your nose, not just your mouth, when you wear a mask or else it would be just like a mouthguard.
Dcotor Fong says it should not just be a box-ticking exercise.
He stresses that we all should wear masks properly.
Dcotor Fong says there is a real concern for maskless people at the bus stand.
He says from today, mask-wearing is required in all public transport.
All drivers and passengers will have to wear masks. Drivers will not be allowed to drive if they don't wear masks.
People will not be allowed to board public transport if they do not have masks.
Strict physical distancing is required in all public transport – that includes buses and mini buses.
Doctor Fong says this will not be convenient but it is necessary. He says if this virus takes hold of our community, no one will be driving anyone anywhere. The Permanent Secretary says drivers and transport operators must make this sacrifice or they will not be operating at all.
If they do not follow, those businesses will be shut down.
Land Transport Authority officials will also be on the ground to enforce this.
All businesses also have to ask customers and passengers to have the careFIJI app on. Doctor Fong says customers should not be allowed to enter the premises unless they are masked and have the app. The staff of the businesses should be leading example by wearing masks properly. Wear masks and keep the careFIJI app on if you are going shopping or marketing today. There will also be physical distancing so please ensure you follow this to stop the spread of this virus.
Dr Fong says the curfew will remain from 11pm to 4am.
However the Fiji Police Force will be enforcing restricted movements across Viti Levu from 7pm today until 4am Monday 26th April. Only essential movements will be allowed.
He says this is to ensure people stay home and save lives.
Please stay at home, spend time with your family and help stop the spread of the virus.
He says he may be forced to have lockdowns in Suva, Nausori and Lami corridor if the rules and protocols are not followed and COVID cases rise.
Doctor Fong stresses do not take this virus lightly.
There have been another 20,000 downloads of the careFIJI app since yesterday. Doctor Fong says he understands there are more than 600,000 smartphones in Fiji and we want everyone to download the COVID contact tracing app.
There were more than 168,000 downloads so far.
Dr Fong also says at the start of this outbreak, the daily cap for COVID testing was 600 but this has been beaten by our front line heroes. More than 1,000 tests have been conducted in a single day which is a record for Fiji.
Some good news as the mini bus driver has been found. He is in isolation.
Doctor Fong says the Health Ministry is now looking for the passengers of that mini bus that travelled from the Lautoka Mini Bus Stand to Nadi at 5.30pm Saturday April 17th.
If you rode in this mini bus from Lautoka to Nadi that night, please call 158.
[image: Fijian Government/Facebook]
No new cases were announced today.
We still have 19 cases.
The three people in Moturiki have tested negative for COVID-19.
Dr Fong says this test confirms that the three were not contagious when they went to Moturiki. This also means that Waicoka Village is not a screening place.
Doctor Fong also says the ministry never asked people to wear gloves during this pandemic because clean hands are much safer.
Permanent Secretary for Health Doctor James Fong says essential movement is when you want to go to the pharmacy or have a medical problem that needs to be addressed.
He says police will be encouraging people to go back home if they do not have an essential reason to travel from 7pm tomorrow to 4am Monday.
Doctor Fong stresses that if people create trouble then that will be dealt with in the appropriate manner.
Permanent Secretary for Health Doctor James Fong says they want to have a focused lockdown to avoid a nationwide lockdown.
Dr Fong says they will not give warnings if there is a need for a nationwide lockdown.
He says they are ready if there is a need for one and they will only implement a lockdown if there is a rapid rise in COVID-19 positive cases or if they see no one is complying with health protection guidelines.
He says they will not hesitate for a possible lockdown in Suva, Nausori and Lami.
Doctor Fong says they want an educated lockdown which is locking down the areas for the purpose of preventing transmission and detecting new cases.
The Permanent Secretary for Health Dr James Fong says there are indications that they will be getting enough COVID-19 vaccines for everyone they want to vaccinate.
Dr Fong says they will be getting the vaccine in batches which will be rolled out for the rest of the year.
He has also confirmed that the Ministry could start the next phase of their vaccination campaign as early as next Wednesday. Another 24,000 AstraZeneca doses from the COVAX facility arrived in Fiji earlier this week.
Dr Fong says they wanted to start with the roll out this Saturday but that will be tough because of the amount of containment programs they are running.
Meanwhile the Head of Health Protection Dr Aalisha Sahukhan has also confirmed that there are studies ongoing around the world regarding vaccines for children and they are watching that carefully.
Dr Sahukhan says once the studies conclude, organizations such as the World Health Organization will look at the results and make a recommendation if children should be vaccinated or not.
She adds there are a number of vaccine trials going on for children and they are waiting for that.
The Permanent Secretary for Health, Dr. James Fong says they have some concerns regarding two of the 19 cases of COVID 19 but he is not in a position to discuss further details.
Dr. Fong says they do not want to be openly discussing conditions of patients without the families being notified.
Meanwhile, Head of Health Protection, Dr. Aalisha Sahukhan says 5 of the 19 active cases of COVID-19 are border quarantine cases that were announced before Sunday.
Nine are recently announced border quarantine cases and five are locally transmitted cases that have been linked back to the solider who was infected in the border quarantine facility.
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