More than 200 Japanese nationals who live in Lautoka could not leave the city to board a recovery flight to Japan last Saturday.
Majority of them are students at the Free Bird Institute in Lautoka.
One of the students Sayuri Watanabe told this newspaper she could not go home because of the movement restrictions that accompanied the lockdown of the city.
“I have been here for weeks now and we were waiting for the flight, but because of the lockdown we couldn’t go,” she said.
“No student was able to go.”
Ms Watanabe said about 200 Japanese students live in Lautoka, most in homestay.
“We have told our families of our status, but I am worried about my family in Japan.”
The Free Bird Institute had said in an earlier press release it had 200 Japanese students in Fiji who were scheduled to fly out on March 27.
“However, as a result of the lockdown currently in place in Lautoka, most students are unable to
leave Lautoka and will not be able to make this flight,” said the statement.
“Our teams have been in contact with these students and are making the necessary arrangements for their extended stay here in Fiji with the relevant authorities.”
(Editor’s note: This article was published in The Fiji Times on Monday, April 06, 2020)
