Bula
There was no news conference tonight, however, the permanent secretary for Health and Medical Services Dr James Fong announced two new cases of COVID-19.
Two new cases
They are both cases of local transmission.
The first, he said, is the husband of case 159 from the Vunimono cluster and he has been in isolation since Wednesday, May 12.
The second case is a healthcare worker from the Colo-i-Suva isolation ward who is now in isolation himself. Both patients are asymptomatic.
Of the 51 cases we have now, four are border quarantine cases, 35 are local cases and 12 are classified as cases of community transmission.
Dr Fong said two patients are now in intensive care after their conditions deteriorated, and they are receiving the best possible care from their attending physicians.
Here are some stories that made the headlines for The Fiji Times’ edition for Tuesday, May 18.
PAGE 1
Police impersonator
The big one on the front page is quite interesting. A man impersonates a police officer and worked at a Police Station for three weeks before getting caught!
Ration distributions
There’s a picture about the distribution of rations for people within the Suva, Nasinu and Nausori lockdown zone. The full report is on Page 3.
There’s more on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Pages 2,3,4,5 and 12.
REFLECTIONS
The head of the Suva Retailers Association raised an interesting point.
It’s interesting that businesses in the Suva-Nausori corridor have welcomed the Ministry of Health’s decision to implement a total lockdown and restrict movement in their zone.
Suva Retailers Association president Jetesh Patel believes the lockdown would make the Ministry of Health’s work easier in flushing out the coronavirus.
“Please take heed and cooperate,” he said. “This is the only way forward to get out of this crisis.”
When you think about it, it actually makes sense.
A lockdown should flush out any pockets of those infected by the virus.
Given the incubation period, and the directive for us all to stay home, it makes sense that if we all adhere to directives, it should go a long way towards containment of the virus.
The bottom line is we must stay home!
So if we are able to stay within our own little bubbles, there should really be no way for the virus to spread.
We accept that it may be tough on the economy.
In the long run though, containment, as the permanent secretary for Health and Medical Services Dr James Fong has always pointed out, matters.
There has to be value placed on this.
Let’s remind ourselves, as the good doctor continues to point out, the virus cannot move if we do not move.
It needs us to move for it to spread.
Again, given the fact that we know the incubation period, we know what must be done!
The big picture should be our focus right now.
Dragging this forward will mean more people remain unemployed as new cases continue to pop up. Our border stays closed longer, and our economy continues to take a beating.
In an ideal world, we’d all just want this to go away. In an ideal world, we’d all stay home during a lockdown so the health experts can flush out the virus, and subsequently, we’d all come out of this better positioned to get our economy back on track.
Unfortunately we do not live in an ideal world and Dr Fong and his team have the unenviable task of finding that very fine balance daily.
It is also unfortunate that there are still some Fijians who find it quite difficult to shrug off the need to share things. They are still breaching curfew hours and disregard the importance of the lockdown.
However, we can either decide to support the direction Dr Fong wants us to take, or we can disregard good advice and watch our nation slip into the abyss.
Lest we forget though, there are far too many people struggling to put food on their table daily.
They are frustrated. They are stressed out. They feel insecure, and there is uncertainty in their lives. They are mentally and physically impacted! No one wants to live that way. They need a beacon of hope. They need us all to do the right thing, for ourselves, our loved ones, and for the nation. Please stay home!
PAGE 7
Call to activate DISMAC & CSOs
OPPOSITION Leader and Tui Cakau Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu is calling on the government to activate the DISMAC machinery and Civil Society Organisation (CSO) networks including, religious bodies and NGOs to distribute food rations and assist the needy during the Suva-Nasinu-Nausori lockdown.
Call for a national approach
FORMER Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has called for a national approach to the health challenges brought about by the COVID-19 virus.
Corrections officer breach restriction
A 23-year-old Fiji Corrections Service officer was among a large group of people who appeared before the Suva Magistrates Court yesterday for breaching curfew restrictions during the Suva-Nausori lockdown
#Navua viral video of man abusing workers has attracted attention of those in authority.
PAGE 12
No plans to return
ASNIL Kumar has been stuck in Nadi for more than 20 days and he has no plans to return to his Ba home because of his ability to earn by selling kava at the Nadi Municipal Market.
Caught in the middle
WHEN The Fiji Times caught up with Nunia Tareguci last Friday she said she was caught between a rock and a hard place.
Bakery production
Bakery ramped up production last Friday after authorities announced the Suva-Nausori lockdown.
Reusable masks
KAUSHIK Lal was selling reusable masks on the corner of Daniva and Nasinu Road last Friday as people scrambled to do last minute shopping before the Suva-Nausori lockdown came into effect.
Restaurant business
AMOL Kumar established Tasty Pot Restaurant in February this year after business in Nadi began to show signs of a revival.
Fisherman hangs up fishing gear
LAUTOKA fisherman Mohammed Faiyaz Nur says he has hung up his fishing gear for the past three weeks because the COVID-19 fishing restrictions.
Vegetable supply affected
ARUNA Devi who makes a living selling vegetables at Namaka market says supply of vegetables to the market has been affected due to the lockdown.
Carpenters out of work
CARPENTERS around the country are sitting at home because hardware shops are closed, says Nadi carpenter Sumit Kumar.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Check out the letters on Pages 8 and 9. Writers voice their opinions on various issues of interest.
PEOPLE
In this ever popular section of the newspaper, you can read about: Single mother Tarusila Vunisa raises her children alone with courage and fortitude and with a firm belief they would grow up to be strong individuals later in life. She tries her best to be a leading example, a woman of faith and a mother who considers her children as her source of strength.
BUSINESS InsideSTORY
FOR the Ministry of Environment, this pandemic, if anything, has accelerated the speed at which they are “going digital” and has given a new push to hasten their implementation plans towards an online transaction/permit processing system.
SPORTS
The big one on the back page is about: Flying Fijians head coach Vern Cotter expects the players to lift their standard and be in their best form when they face the New Zealand All Blacks in back-to-back test matches in July.
GET A COPY
There’s a lot to read inside. You’ll have to get a copy though to know what we are talking about. Happy reading!
e-EDITION
I have been getting calls from people who miss the newsprint version. In this lockdown period, you could try reading the newspaper on the e-Edition platform. It’s easy to hook up via mPaisa! You can contact us for details on https://www.fijitimes.com/subscribe/ or you can call Setaita on 7754078, or on 3304111 during office hours, to assist you.
You could also just follow a few steps and read The Fiji Times a few minutes later, live and direct! Here are the simple steps to follow: 1: Log onto www.fijitimes.com 2: Select the SUBSCRIBE tab. 3: Register. 4: Select mPaisa payment option! Try it! It’s a different experience!
