We cannot expect our economy to recover if we shut entire industries for weeks on end – Dr Fong

Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong says they can have a targeted approach on lockdowns to ensure that if they do lock down an area, or even all of Viti Levu, they do not place undue hardship on people and businesses.

Doctor Fong says in other words, future lockdowns, should they be needed, will be targeted and active.

He says they will be targeted because the lockdown area will be defined as narrowly as possible, and they will be active because they will endeavour to permit the broadest range of movement and economic activity possible, in bubbles that mitigate widespread transmission of the virus.

Doctor Fong says they want essential services to continue, and they want as many people as possible to go to their jobs and open their businesses.

He says we cannot expect our economy to recover if we shut entire industries for weeks on end.

The Permanent Secretary says some of those jobs, particularly in manufacturing, may never come back.

He says all of us are only as strong as our weakest link.

Doctor Fong also says whatever step they take, whether that is legally mandating mask-wearing or the use of careFIJI, or even re-introducing a 24-hour curfew, the success will ultimately come down to the diligence and the vigilance of the public.

He says many people are making adjustments to keep themselves and their loved ones safe but too many people are still pretending as if there is no threat in our midst; as if the world is still the way it was more than one year ago before the coronavirus spread from country to country like wildfire.

Doctor Fong also says with a full year of experience behind us, they have a much greater understanding of the virus and a range of tools to use to fight it –– including stronger testing capacity and the careFIJI app.