Members of the Fiji Police Force are in Labasa Town this morning enforcing the health protection measures announced by the Ministry of Health last night.

High-risk businesses have been informed to close down as the Ministry works to limit the risk of mass transmission.

Police officers were at barbershops, beauty parlours, internet shops, gaming shops, and billiard shops informing owners to close up in compliance with health measures announced.

Barbershop owners Dev Anand says although they will lose out income for the next 14 days, it is better than catching the virus which can have fatal consequences.

Anand says there wasn’t any communication sent to them last night and decided to open his barbershop this morning while waiting for directives from authorities.

Most of these businesses were open from 8 am.

The nature of these high-risk businesses means they cannot operate with proper COVID-safe protocols, including enforced physical distancing of two meters.

The public is also reminded that from today, any person in a public place must wear a face covering.

Children under the age of five are exempt from this requirement.

The curfew hours in Labasa will now be from 8 pm to 4 am.