The Permanent Secretary for Health, Dr James Fong says they had noticed an increase in the number of people travelling in and out of the country which is why they have decided that those who come to Fiji for non-essential reasons will have to pay for their quarantine.
Fijians who are coming into the country for non-essential reasons will now have to pay for their quarantine from 29th March 2021.
Dr Fong says government was paying the quarantine costs for all returning Fijians because the idea was to bring all of them back to Fiji who were stuck in other countries.
He says this was the initial intent.
Dr Fong says they feel 12 months was enough for people to realise that there will be a cost associated upon their return to Fiji.
More than 12,800 Fijians have been repatriated through Fiji’s COVID-safe quarantine protocols since last March last where government has paid over $18 million to cover meals, accommodation, swab tests, transportation and personnel costs.
The average cost for a 14-day quarantine period will be around $2,200.
Earlier;
Fijians who are coming into the country for non-essential reasons will now have to pay for their quarantine from 29th March 2021.
In a statement, the government says Fijians planning to come to Fiji for personal reasons including to visit friends and family will be required to incur the cost of the mandatory 14-day quarantine.
They say the new charges will apply to all Fijian passport holders including Fijians who have been residing overseas and are dual passport holders or permanent residents of another country.
These charges will depend on the quarantine facility and will average around $2,200 for the entire 14-day quarantine.
The charges will include the cost of accommodation and meals which will be directly payable to the quarantine facilities.
Government says exemptions from these charges will only be considered in exceptional circumstances and approved by the Permanent Secretary for Health.
These exemptions include Fijian citizens who have travelled outside of Fiji before 28th March 2020 and are now returning home, students and their approved dependents on government sponsored or government endorsed scholarships returning after completion of studies, patient and approved companion supported by the Ministry of Health to seek medical assistance in overseas, Fijian citizens employed under a government-to-government arrangement that the Fijian Government is a party to such as workers returning under labour schemes, returning servicemen, Fijian Government officials, Fijian Diplomats including spouse and children under the age of 18 years who have travelled for official purposes.
Since March 2020, more than 12,800 Fijians have been repatriated through Fiji’s COVID-safe quarantine protocols where government has paid over $18 million to cover meals, accommodation, swab tests, transportation and personnel costs.
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