Police to arrest people if they do not follow the gazetted COVID-19 health guidelines

Acting Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu says anyone not following the two metres distancing inside or outside the supermarket in any containment area will be arrested.

Tudravu says officers will closely be monitoring businesses and all employees and customers to wear face coverings to enter their premises.

He says it is also vital for every driver of a Public Service Vehicle and the travelling passengers who are 5 years of age or older to wear masks and minibus drivers are to ensure that all passengers in the minibus are physically distanced from each other.

Parents and guardians are to monitor their children and advise them of restrictions in place and also remind every family member that to stay in their containment zone and not enter another containment zone.

Those living within a containment zone may only travel for employment, accessing services provided by an essential business, or an emergency.

Tudravu says members of the force will ensure that all these restrictions are enforced and followed in all containment zones including Suva, Lami, Nausori, Nadi, and Lautoka.

The Acting Commissioner says they are strengthening enforcement of the public health measures as published in the gazette.

He says these urgent actions are targeted at ensuring Fijians adhere to the instructions as stipulated under the Public Health Act. Tudravu says it was noticed that some people still do not adhere to the instructions and this has forced the institution to enforce restrictions on the ground from tonight and take those to task who still do not comply.

According to the government gazette signed by Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong, any person in a queue in Viti Levu must be at least 2 metres away from any other person in the queue, with effect from 22nd April 2021.

Except for a gathering in the course of employment or a funeral gathering not exceeding 20 persons, any gathering is banned for the whole of Fiji, with effect from 22 April 2021; and any contact sports engagement is banned for the whole of Fiji.

Gathering means any assembly of individuals in a single location and includes meetings, religious gatherings such as church, mosque and temple services, and sports events, weddings, parties and concerts.

Any owner of a public service vehicle in a containment zone must ensure that the public service vehicle only operates within the containment zone, with effect from 4am on 3rd May 2021.

This is according to a government gazette signed by Health Minister, Doctor Ifereimi Waqainabete.

The gazette also says that any business in a containment zone that is not an essential business must close, with effect from 4am on 3rd May 2021.

A gazette signed off by the Health Minister also says any driver of a public service vehicle, or passenger in a public service vehicle who is 5 years of age or older, must wear a face covering in the proper manner while driving or travelling in the public service vehicle, with effect from 24th April 2021. Any driver of a bus or minibus must ensure that all the passengers are physically distanced from each other.

Any driver of a public service vehicle must limit the passenger capacity of the public service vehicle to 50 percent, with effect from 4am on 26th April 2021.

The gazette also clearly states that any business in Fiji must require its employees, and customers who are 5 years of age or older, to wear face coverings in the proper manner in order to enter the premises of the business, with effect from 24th April 2021.