Bula everyone.
It’s another one of those cool nights here in the Capital City of Suva.
Tonight, the permanent secretary for Health and Medical Services Dr James Fong announced 35 new cases of COVID-19.
He referred to it as a record-breaking surge over the past few days, with the majority of cases among known clusters in the Central Division.
He made an interesting statement tonight: “After an entire year without a local case of the virus, I know these double-digit daily case numbers are unsettling news for many of you –– they should be. This is a highly transmissible and deadly disease. But there are ways we can protect ourselves.
“If you are one of those who have not been taking this outbreak seriously – and I know some of you are listening –it’s time to stop being careless. I’ve gone over the rules before, I will again: Stay home as much as possible. If you do leave, wear a mask and make sure the careFIJI app is installed on your phone and Bluetooth is switched on.
“Keep a two-metre distance from others. Wash your hands often. Do not share cigarettes. Do not share takis. I love sharing grog as much as anyone, but it’s time we put that habit on hold. Grog by yourself, mix your own grog and taki to yourself.”
There’s nothing else I can add here but acknowledge our frontliners for the work they do daily.
Here are some stories that made the headlines in The Fiji Times’ edition for Thursday, June 10.
PAGE 1
Frontliners and case numbers
The big one on the front page is about our frontliners and tonight’s numbers.
PAGE 2
GeneXpert machines
FIJI now can conduct an additional 1000 COVID-19 tests, thanks to three GeneXpert machines courtesy of the World Health Organization and the European Union. Health Minister Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete said the equipment were installed at the Fiji Centre for Disease Control on Tuesday.
Climate emergency
ATTORNEY-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has called on the broader United Nations system to use their convening power to align affordable, accessible, and efficient development finance with the urgency of the climate emergency.
PAGE 3
Muanikoso containment order
IT was like a scene from a movie when the Muanikoso COVID-19 containment border was lifted yesterday. People shouted with joy and sand and fireworks lit up the afternoon sky as the more than 300 people celebrated their “freedom”.
Advance payments
THE Ministry of Agriculture made advance payments to various vendors without obtaining the requisite approval from the Ministry of Economy (MoE), the Auditor-General has found.
Ginger seeds purchase
THE Ministry of Agriculture bought $94,069 worth ginger seeds without obtaining quotations and procurement requests, and without raising purchase orders, the Auditor-General has found.
Business impact survey
IN a bid to provide a more targeted policy response, the Ministry of Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport (MCTTT) yesterday rolled out a Business Impact Survey to determine the socio-economic crisis triggered by the second wave of COVID-19.
Agriculture Ministry grants
THE Agriculture Ministry’s Monitoring and Evaluation Unit did not submit a single report in 2019 to show how it tracked the $36 million disbursed as grants and for projects.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
There are interesting letters on Pages 8 and 9.
PEOPLE
In this popular section, you can read about: Deepmala Sharma
DEEPMALA Sharma created a motivational online channel in a bid to help people with mental health issues. Dipa, as she is more commonly known, said the channel was set up to encourage people to believe in themselves.
BACKTRACKS
You can read about: Kali Charan
SINGING the bhajan involves singing from the depth of your heart, as its aim is for singers to completely immerse themselves in song and become one in their longing for the divine. And when one thinks of a devotee who has the gift of connecting listeners to the Gods through this devotional songs, one name comes to mind.
SPORTS
The big one on the back page is about: Head coach Gareth Baber
FIJI 7s head coach Gareth Baber expects his team to utilise what they have learnt during training in quarantine to achieve their target at the PacificAus Sports Oceania Rugby Sevens tournament in Townsville, Australia on June 25-27.
There’s more to read inside, but you’ll have to get a copy to know what we are talking about!
e-EDITION
I have been getting calls from people who miss the newsprint version. In this 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!
