Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama’s decision to overlook a lockdown as a measure to contain the COVID-19 virus will lead to catastrophic results.
This, according to National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad, who added a lockdown was the only option to contain the virus.
He said Fiji had now reached the ominous total of 1000 COVID-19 cases with 700 of them active and about 100 new cases every two days.
“The Government’s response to this crisis is to follow a strategy that has already failed,” he said.
He said the Government plan was complacent and short-sighted.
“The Government thinks that the situation Fiji is facing now will stay the same.
“It is not planning for things to get worse. “Yet, every lesson from every country in the world should tell it otherwise.”
He said Government had stated that it could not afford a lockdown.
“The opposite is true.
“There will be health, economic and social disaster without a lockdown.
“The Government believes in its containment strategy.
“It could not keep the virus in the Suva-Nausori containment area when there were only 300 cases.
“The virus still escaped to the West. It is now multiplying there.
“If the containment strategy is working, how did the virus come to Naitasiri.”
He said Government should have opted for a total lockdown and now they should hope and pray that our situation doesn’t get worse.
In his national address last Friday, Mr Bainimarama said an extended lockdown would cripple Fiji.
