Fiji Govt outlines strategy to reopen borders
18 September 2021
Despite daily reports of Covid-19 infections in the community, with an increase in cases on the remote islands, Fiji's Government is pressing ahead with its plans to reopen the Pacific island nation to the world.
Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama has outlined his Government's plan to lift its international border restrictions on 1 November.
But this would only come about, he told the nation, when Fiji achieved the 80-percent vaccination target set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
PM Bainimarama is confident Fiji will meet the WHO threshold come November.
The Health Ministry said as of 16 September, 580,504 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 372,434 have received both jabs.
"This means that 97.7 percent of the target population have received at least one dose and 63.5 percent are now fully vaccinated nation-wide," the ministry said in a statement.
The Ministry also confirmed there were 12,978 active cases in isolation, with the death toll at 544.
The Government lifted internal border restrictions for the main island Viti Levu on Friday. These restrictions were imposed since April when the latest outbreak began.
However, inter-island travel and a curfew from 9pm to 4am remained.
There are more than 800 people infected with Covid-19 in the remote islands of Kadavu, Beqa, with Malolo, Naviti, Nacula, Waya and Naviti, in the Yasawas and Macuata Province in Vanua Levu, Fiji's second largest island.
Social gatherings of up to 20 people will now be permitted indoors in people's homes nation-wide. For outdoor venues, up to 30 people are allowed, the Fijian leader said.
PM Bainimarama also said that from October 4, all workplaces, tertiary institutions, houses of worship, hotels, restaurants, cafés, cinemas, gyms, and pools would be able to open at 70 percent capacity.
However, he said these places would only be opened to fully-vaccinated persons.
"With well over half of adults in Fiji fully vaccinated, our Covid-19 Risk Mitigation Taskforce has developed a careful framework that details the next phase of our response."
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Yours sincerely
Frank Short
