As of yesterday, there were 1,182 active cases, 452 recovered cases and 6 deaths in the country. The current pandemic is mainly confined to Viti Levu – Nadi, Lautoka and Ba in the West and the Greater Suva-Nausori area in the Central Division — but there are a number of small clusters elsewhere.
Control of the virus depends heavily on the uptake of vaccines. So far 43% of the population aged 18 and over (250,200) have received one dose of the vaccine, and 12.2% are fully vaccinated with a second dose. The aim is to vaccinate 80% of adults.
The European Union, Australia and New Zealand have made considerable cash, vaccine and material donations, and a multi-discipline Australian medical team, which includes some New Zealanders, has just arrived in the country to support local health workers. They will remain for a month.
To date, the Government has distributed over 36,000 free food ration, grocery and essential item packs to people in isolation and lockdown areas. Local NGOs, most notably FRIEND (the Foundation for Rural Integrated Enterprises and Development), have also been delivering food parcels to poor informal sector people in rural lockdown areas.
Vaccination has met with some opposition in social media. An opposition SODEPA MP called it a scam and an Indo-Fijian said it was contrary to God's will. Government and religious organisations have urged people not to listen to these false views. There have also been some breaches of the lockdown, mainly by young men drinking yaqona (kava).
So far, Government has resisted calls for a 28-day national lockdown, saying it would destroy the country's economy. Opposition National Federation Party leader Biman Prasad disagrees saying the current strategy was leading the country to disaster. "All the evidence shows that a quick and well planned lockdown, with the corresponding support to look after the people who would be in the lockdown, is the best way to get a better health outcome as well as a better economic outcome. This government does not seem to get that," he said.
Otago University epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker said the situation in Fiji was extremely worrying and he believed a national lockdown needed to be seriously considered. "If they want to return to an elimination position, I think they need to act very decisively now. And that actually offers a much better route back to economic recovery than trying to suppress the virus and live with it, which hasn't really worked very well in the past," Baker said.
With tourism, manufacturing, and exports almost at a standstill, the economy is at present expected to shrink by up to a third. Recovering from the virus is one thing. Economic recovery is likely to take even longer.
ACW — with thanks to multiple sources.
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