There will be no extended lockdown across Viti Levu despite triple-digit infections on an almost daily basis.

Health officials managing Fiji’s response to the second wave say this measure will not help if people refuse to adopt COVID safe measures and make it a way of life.

Permanent Secretary, Dr James Fong says their mandate is to implement targeted lockdowns in communities with positive cases.

“That’s a broader scale discussion that requires beyond the Ministry of Health. We continue to escalate our mitigation measures. We will continue to concentrate on issuing measures that will prevent the worst impacts of the disease. That’s as far as we can go as a group of medical professionals in this fight.”

Dr Fong adds that instead of calling for lockdowns, all Fijians need to make COVID safe measures a way of life.

“No amount of lockdown will get them to be COVID safe. Everything is in the hands, hearts and minds of people and that’s where we have to keep targeting. It is a difficult battle that won’t be won overnight but the most sustainable impact will be if we win hearts and minds.”

Given that Fiji’s second wave has lasted 68 days, the Health Ministry says the public should have matured and seen the benefits of practicing COVID safe actions.