When the permanent secretary for Health and Medical Services, Dr James Fong, announced the numbers on Thursday night for COVID-19 positive cases, he raised other issues as well.
It was encouraging to learn that seven patients had recovered that day.
As of Thursday night, we have had 256 recoveries and four deaths due to the virus since the first reported case in March last year.
As of Thursday night, 228,030 people had received at least one jab of the COVID-19 vaccine.
However, in the face of all that’s happening around us, it seems laxity, or perhaps ignorance or disregard for COVID safety advice is hampering the good work of the medical teams out in the field.
As temperatures drop at night, our frontliners continue with their contact tracing efforts, and our police men and women are on duty at checkpoints around the country.
This work must go on. But the onus is also on us as individuals to be part of the process to fight the virus.
This war cannot be won just by the effort of the medical experts.
It needs us as individuals to actively participate. That means adhering to COVID safety rules.
By now we all know how dangerous this virus is.
We all know our numbers are rising rapidly daily. We all know the virus is slowly spreading around Viti Levu.
We know where the clusters are, and we also know that Dr Fong and his team are concerned that there may be community transmission already happening.
Because we know what to do, it falls on us to do the right thing. For all those in lockdown areas, please stay put.
Do not duck under the clearly marked police barriers to walk out in public, to the nearby supermarket or store.
Please do not engage in dangerous behavior, such as drinking kava at other houses.
This isn’t the time for living dangerously. Dr Fong keeps reminding us that the virus will move if we move.
So let’s stay home! Let’s remain in our own safe bubbles.
Let’s not allow anyone from outside our bubble to get into it. Let’s remind ourselves to wash our hands often with soap and water or use a hand sanitiser.
Cough into your elbow or use a tissue and dispose this safely.
Do not shake a hand and please no hugging. If you must go out, wear a mask, keep a safe distance from the next person and do not touch your face at all until you can wash your hands.
Let’s stay safe Fiji. There is a great need for unity and consideration of the predicament of our fellow Fijians who are suffering out there.
