Qiliho directs officers to arrest people found loitering in public places outside of the nationwide curfew hours

Police Commissioner, Sitiveni Qiliho says officers have been directed to arrest people found loitering in public places outside of the nationwide curfew hours.

This follows serious concerns received about people continuing to gather in numbers and are not adhering to physical distancing measures particularly in public places.

Qiliho says the directive issued to the five Divisional Police Commanders this morning is to start arresting and charging people for loitering outside the curfew hours of 10pm to 5am.

Qiliho says with the announcement of the extension of school holidays for another two weeks, parents and guardians must at all times ensure that their children are at home, and not loitering around places where they should not be.

The Police Commissioner says the message about physical distancing and unnecessary gatherings which has been reiterated time and time again by the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, is clearly being taken lightly.

Qiliho says they must continue to take all necessary precautionary measures and has reiterated the words of the Prime Minister, where he stated that every person in Fiji should act as if anyone, anywhere could be a carrier of COVID-19, and for everyone to recognise that they have a role to play in defeating this virus for good.