Fiji’s Health Ministry has not advised the Government to enforce a 24-hour curfew for 28 days for Viti Levu.
Ministry permanent secretary Dr James Fong said if he believed there was a medical case to be made for a 24-hour curfew for 28 days for all of Viti Levu, he would advise the Prime Minister directly.
“I have his number. He sits across from me in our briefings. I have not done that because, medically, we do not believe a 24-hour curfew for 28 straight days would work,” Dr Fong told the nation in his official COVID-19 update this evening.
“The reason we have not recommended four full weeks of a 24-hour curfew is that given the track record of poor public compliance, we cannot guarantee that we’d see compliance everywhere in the country and, therefore, we simply do not have the capacity to enforce such a strict lockdown everywhere on Viti Levu.
“The tragic reality is that Fijians living in communities most vulnerable to the virus – including those in informal settlements – are also those most vulnerable to the socioeconomic catastrophe that a 24-hour lockdown for 28 days would bring about.”
Dr Fong said even under such a strict lockdown, they believed the virus would continue to circulate within many of those communities.
He said they believed individuals would attempt to leave those communities and some would succeed.
“We believe that after 28 days of a 24-hour curfew and the untold hardship it would bring for Fijians, we’d still see new cases on day 29.
“There are no easy choices at this stage, but some choices are still smarter than others.
“And we believe there is a better and smarter way forward than a 28-day total lockdown.”
Instead, the PS said they were dedicating personnel where the risks were greatest.
He said they were allowing for some essential movement so that people could get food, medicine and go to work so long as they wear masks, keep a safe distance from others, and ensure they have the careFIJI app switched on.
“If that freedom is abused, the virus will spread. If the rules are respected, we believe transmission can be reduced dramatically. Respect the rules, we win. Ignore them, we all lose – big time.”
