[Source: Fiji Police]

More than 1,200 police officers are manning checkpoints around the country on eight-hour shifts as the fight for COVID-19 continues.

Speaking to FBC News, Acting Police Commissioner, Rusiate Tudravu says this is to allow the Health Ministry to effectively co-ordinate its procedures and protocols to help eradicate the virus.

Tudravu says it’s now been over a year since they started manning curfew checkpoints and with the second wave of the pandemic, Police will continue to be present to ensure everyone is safe.

“A very challenging task, a challenge for the leadership at this pointing time. Police officers will get sick, there are other issues relating to their health and welfare side of it, so we are trying our best from one year up until the last few months, we tried our best. We are talking to our men every now and then to maintain that posture of our operations and the professionalism.”

With thousands of police personnel making sacrifices and risking their lives as frontliners, Tudravu is pleading with the public to do the safest thing by staying home and avoid unnecessary movements.