STATEMENT
Be responsible and abide by the advisories issued by the Ministry of Health or we will have no choice but to arrest those breaching the Public Health Act.
Authorities are doing all they can in as far as containment efforts are concerned, however there are some Fijians who continue to blatantly disregard advisories and are taking the current situation lightly.
The threat of the virus spreading is real, and we cannot be complacent and treat the situation lightly.
Adequate warnings have been issued and Police officers will now be directed to enforce laws and regulations stipulated under the Public Health Act.
Thirty-seven (37) checkpoints have been erected within the main containment areas to monitor unnecessary movement.
These checkpoints are further boosted during curfew hours with additional thirty-six (36) erected from 11pm to 4am daily.
From the 18th of April to the 30th, thirty (30) people have been arrested for breaching containment zone restrictions, twenty-seven (27) people were found to have breached social gathering restrictions while ninety (90) people were arrested breaching curfew restrictions.
Members of the public are again reminded that Police are not issuing any passes for those wanting to cross containment zones as these now fall under the responsibility of the Ministry of Health.
The Fiji Police Force however is still tasked with issuing passes for movement during curfew hours.
However if your request for movement during curfew hours from 11pm to 4am requires travel between containment zones, approval must be sought first from the Ministry of Health.
The message by the Permanent Secretary for Health Dr James Fong cannot be simplified any further than what it is right now.
STAY HOME and help make things easier for authorities and refrain from moving around unless it is absolutely necessary.
If you are not working in one of the industries listed as an essential service - STAY HOME!
If you don't need to run to the supermarket or pharmacies to get urgent supplies for your family - STAY HOME!
If it's not a medical emergency - STAY HOME!
Parents and guardians, monitor your children at all times and ensure they - STAY HOME and are not roaming around the streets.
These measures are simple, however we are still witnessing people moving around unnecessarily in numbers and while we had said arrests would be a last resort, we believe that adequate warnings have been issued and Police will now be coming down hard on those found breaching the Public Health Act.
Please assist authorities and let's focus on what can be done to help take us forward, rather than dwelling too much on what has happened in the past.
The virus is among us and if we want to be able to successfully contain it, we need everyone to support current efforts by Health officials.
RUSIATE TUDRAVU
Acting Commissioner of Police
