Bula vinaka
Here are some stories that made the headlines in The Fiji Times’ edition for Tuesday, May 4.
PAGE 1
Long battle
The big one on Page 1 is on the impact of COVID-19. The Permanent Secretary for Health and Medical Services, Dr James Fong, has warned that we should be prepared for a long battle against the virus.
Two new cases
He also announced two more cases in Lautoka.
Struggling to cope
The second story on Page 1 is about a man struggling to cope in the face of the recent lockdown.
There’s more on Pages 2 and 3.
World Press Freedom Day
Let’s talk about May 3 now. It is supposed to be a special day for journalists around the world. It’s a day set aside to basically acknowledge the work of the media – World Press Freedom Day. This was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of UNESCO’s General Conference. It is supposed to be a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics. It is an opportunity to:
- celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom;
- assess the state of press freedom throughout the world;
- defend the media from attacks on their independence; and
- pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
While there is a duty to hold power to account, there is also an expectation to disseminate information that will allow people to make well-informed decisions daily. We accept that we cannot always get it right, but we are committed to uphold the values of good journalism.
Journalists and media houses are not immune to the negative impact of the virus and they do face various other obstacles.
In the end, we must accept that with great power comes a greater sense of responsibility.
There are always interviews to be recorded, programs filmed, bulletins prepared, stories to be written, and pictures and videos shot. Life moves on! And lest we forget, please adhere to social distancing rules!
PAGE 2
Vaccination campaign
AFTER coming out of isolation with his family on Sunday, Abdul Faheem lined up to get his first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine at Tilak High School yesterday.
CCTV cameras in quarantine facilities
MORE closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras will be established in quarantine facilities to ensure people working there use personal protective equipment properly and follow passenger handling protocols.
Rakiraki isolation facility
LESSONS learnt from a complaint about the poor state of a Rakiraki isolation facility will be used to ensure it does not happen again.
PAGE 3
What is Government’s plan for the $55m?
THE National Federation Party has called on Government to make public its plans to help the most vulnerable and what it intended to do with the $55million donated by the Australian government.
Food supplies
GOVERNMENT should have ensured food was delivered to people, given the fact they were given only thirty minutes before the lockdown was enforced on Friday, says Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry.
Caught off-guard
A WAILEA Settlement family was caught off-guard when Health Ministry permanent secretary Dr James Fong announced a 56-hour lockdown on Friday night.
Doctors test positive
FIJI’S two new COVID-19 cases are doctors at the Lautoka Hospital, but Health Ministry permanent secretary Dr James Fong says they did not work at the Outpatients Department.
School reopening consideration
THE Ministry of Health in consultation with the Ministry of Education is considering re-opening schools on May 24.
PAGE 7
Lessening the impact of global fuel price hikes
Unity Fiji Party leader and former Reserve Bank governor Savenaca Narube has called on Government to lessen the impact of global fuel and gas price increases on the Fijian people by using the levers that it has control of.
Drop in trade
LAUTOKA business owners are reporting a 50 per cent drop in trade.
Breach of restrictions
Picture: ELIKI NUKUTABU
DESPITE warnings from authorities, certain sections of the community remained defiant and disregarded COVID-19 restrictions imposed during last weekend’s lockdown of the Suva-Nausori containment area.
Out of season cyclones
OUT of season tropical cyclones cannot be ruled out, said the Fiji Meteorological Department in their Climate Outlook until October.
Dry taps
IT was a bad start to the week for residents in the greater Suva-Nasinu area as they woke up to dry taps yesterday.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
We have two pages of letters, on Pages 8 and 9.
PAGE 16
Special page on World Press Freedom Day.
PEOPLE/InsideSTORY
Check out these two sections inside.
SPORTS
Find out what our top national judoka is doing to be at the top of his game. There’s much more inside.
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
If you prefer to read your newspaper via the e-Edition platform, you can do so via mPaisa. It’s easy to hook up. You can contact us for details on https://www.fijitimes.com/subscribe/ or you can call Isireli on 7754071 to assist you.
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