With the re-emergence of COVID-19 cases in New Zealand, Fiji’s Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum is once again emphasizing the need for Fijians to download the careFIJI App. [File Photo]

Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum is once again emphasizing the need for Fijians to download the careFIJI App.

This comes as there has been a re-emergence of COVID-19 cases in New Zealand.

The careFiji App uses the Bluetooth technology to make contact tracing faster and accurate and it notifies users if they are exposed to the Coronavirus.

Sayed-Khaiyum stresses that digital contact tracing is efficient.

“If for example, we do have a situation like what’s happened in Auckland, we very quickly need to be able to trace where the source is and the reality of the matter is as you have seen in Auckland if you aren’t able to trace it you have to go into lockdown and that’s an enormous economic impact on your towns, cities and indeed on your country”

He reiterates that with more Fijians downloading the App, it will be easier for the government to market Fiji and generate interest among holidaymakers.

“When countries like Australia and New Zealand, when you have a tourist sitting now planning their holiday, planning when the borders will open because they know there will be very good rates available they not only going to look at what’s the cost of going to Fiji in terms of hotel rates or air travel they will see what kind of health measures they have in place.”

Forty percent of the country’s GDP is driven by the tourism industry.

Sayed-Khaiyum says once more Fijians download the App, the government will be able to promote Fiji as a safe destination for tourists from Australians and New Zealand.