The fact that police arrested 53 people between Tuesday night and yesterday for breaches of health restrictions and curfew orders is a concern.
Permanent secretary for Health and Medical Services Ministry Dr James Fong continues to plead with us to do the right thing every night during his press briefings.
He continues to talk about the danger of congregating with others.
He talks about why we must adhere to social distancing rules.
He makes it a point to advise us to stay home and do the little things that matter for the greater good of the nation. Yet, it seems, some of us just don’t care.
It seems some of us are oblivious to the need by the greater population for things to go back to some semblance of normality. Let’s remember thousands of people are unemployed.
They are struggling to put food on the table. They are struggling to provide for their family.
They are frustrated. Many are angry over the turn of events. For many of them, they are staring at a blank wall.
They are helpless. They just want things to go back to ‘normal’ which is unlikely right now.
Many more people are struggling with reduced hours, and many are struggling with pay cuts.
Yet as we hope for unity in this war against the virus, there are still some people who are prepared to breach rules.
They are happy to be out partying and congregating with others. Acting Commissioner of Police Rusiate Tudravu said the high number of arrests showed some people were still taking advantage of the instructions and advisories in place.
“People need to know that all this was made for the benefit of all and the need to support initiatives is vital,” he said.
The Southern Division, he said, recorded 34 arrests including nine people who were found drunk at the Laucala Beach area as well as two others who were arrested in Viwawa, Navua for being intoxicated.
Six men of Tuirara in Makoi, he said, were found drunk, and in that, they breached health restrictions, including eight other people who were also found intoxicated at Narere.
The Eastern Division, he said, recorded nine cases including four people who were found drinking inside a vehicle along the Bau area.
Three people, he said, were arrested for drinking kava at Baulevu, while two farmers of Vunidawa were found drunk along the Serea road in Naitasiri during curfew hours.
Mr Tudravu said seven people were found intoxicated at Naduri Village in Macuata, while three other cases recorded in the Western Division were all related to curfew breaches and were arrested from the Natokowaqa area after being found intoxicated.
The message, it seems, is either not getting to the wider population, or there are some people who just don’t care.
They probably think they are not immune to the effects of the virus.
Or they probably assume they cannot catch the virus, and cannot spread it to their loved ones.
This is sad, and is an unfortunate scenario that must be dealt with as soon as possible.
As a nation, we must unite against the virus. There is no other way.
The variant we have right now isn’t something we should be playing around with.
Too many people are dying, and more will die around the world from the virus.
Look at India! That’s the harsh reality of our times right now.
So please, let’s adhere to social distancing rules. Let’s do the right thing, for ourselves, for our loved ones and for our country!
Please listen to advice from our health experts!
