Jabs will now be compulsory for all employees in the private and public sectors.

Fiji is now amongst a handful of countries that have taken the oath of no jab, no job.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has made it clear that civil servants are to be vaccinated as a condition of their employment.

Bainimarama says under the Fijian constitution, guidelines can be issued by the government to which all civil servants must adhere.

The Prime Minister stresses that civil servants who have not received their first dose of the vaccine must go on leave from next Monday.

He adds that these civil servants cannot come back to work until they have received their first dose of the vaccine.

Bainimarama says all civil servants yet to get their first jab have until August 15th after which they can go on to work, so long as they go on to get fully vaccinated the November 1st, 2021.

“From the view of your government, asking civil servants to be vaccinated falls well in line with the duty of care we owe you and every Fijian. We in government strive to be best possible servants of the people, and we cannot serve the people if we are sick or if we can be carriers of a deadly virus.”

The Prime Minister adds that those who refuse to adhere to these guidelines will be dismissed from work.

Bainimarama says in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act, government is requiring that all employers and employees in the private sector and statutory bodies receive at least one dose of the vaccine by 1 August 2021.

“It is simply unfair for anyone to risk the health of their co-workers or their customers, or risk undermining a business’s operations because they refuse to get a vaccination that is known to be safe and effective. It does not matter if you are the CEO of a company, a sole trader, or a salaried employee — you must be vaccinated to continue working or else that business will risk being shut down. No jabs, no job — that is what the science tells us is safest and that is now the policy of government and enforced through law.”

Bainimarama explains that extensions to time frames will be granted for employers and employees located in areas where vaccines are not yet available.

“For the majority of Fijians, being vaccinated can happen very soon and very easily. We have vaccination centres open throughout the country, even drive-thru vaccine centres where you can be vaccinated in the comfort of your car.”

He stresses that those with medically certifiable allergies to the vaccine with proper certification only by the Permanent Secretary for Health and Medical Services will be exempted.

The AG and Minister for Civil Service will provide the full details of the civil service guidelines and the relevant regulations.

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