Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama is urging all Fijians to start practicing social distancing to help the country avoid a major catastrophe in relation to deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama is urging all Fijians to start practising social distancing.

This is to help the country avoid a major catastrophe in relation to deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

Announcing Fiji’s fourth case of coronavirus, the Prime Minister says the ban on gatherings of 20 people or more remains in full effect.

He says all weddings, funerals, concerts, and sporting events should all be cancelled.

“Physical distancing means exactly that; keeping your distance from all people at all times. Two metres to be exact. Right now, wherever you are watching this, stop, and look around. Make sure everyone around you is at least an arm length away. That is what it means to physically distance.”

The PM adding that no matter where people are in Fiji, they should immediately start maintaining a two metre distance as much as humanly possible.

“I’ve seen images going around of people standing in line and congregating in Suva and other urban areas. All of that ends today. If you need to get in line, space yourself out properly and keep two metres between you and everyone else. Queue with the diligence that you could cough or sneeze at any moment, and queue with the compassion that that person could be your grandmother. But even if you lack those traits, know that police officers will be enforcing these measures everywhere in the country.”

He has also reminded restaurants to cut their seating and place a focus on take-away and delivery.

“If you run a business in an industry where remote work is possible, tell your workers to start working from home. We also highly discourage passenger travel to our outer islands. Shipping lines for freight will continue –– with increased bulk but decreased frequency –– to ensure food and other essential goods are supplied across our islands.”

The PM also reminding people not to indulge in panic buying.

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