The temporary opening of COVID-19 containment borders over the weekend has created logistical nightmares for some people in non-containment areas.
Emuri Village in Nadroga turaga-ni-koro Apenisa Ratu said villagers who travelled from Lautoka and Suva to Emuri were being isolated in a settlement near the village.
He said they would not be allowed into the village until Health Ministry officials gave them the nod.
Mr Ratu said they had received three villagers from Lautoka and one from Suva.
He said they had travelled out of the village before the lockdown to attend events and were locked out when movement was banned.
Mr Ratu said villagers were confused and had misgivings when authorities temporarily lifted restrictions and allowed people to return home.
He said they did not know whether to accept the villagers that had returned because of the high-risk nature of the virus.
Mr Ratu said another issue was that while the villagers were in containment, they needed food and supplies and this was being provided by villagers.
He said this was an added burden for villagers who were rationing supplies because they were uncertain of what the future would hold.
This newspaper has been informed that the people of Yadua, Cuvu, who travelled to the village from containment zones, were also being kept in isolation outside the village and not allowed into their homes.
Similar reports were received from families in Navua who preferred family members coming from containment areas to be put in isolation centres before allowing them home.
Meanwhile, Nasauvakarua villagers have been placed on a total movement ban and those who had travelled from containment or non-containment areas to the village have not been allowed back in.
Former village head Naibuka Burua said last week villagers were allowed to travel to Sigatoka Town to shop before the ban was enforced. He said consumption of yaqona was banned and all traditional gatherings postponed.
Mr Burua said in the case of death, they would liaise closely with the Health Ministry.
He said villagers were allowed to do subsistence fishing and could visit their farms as long as they had permission from the village taskforce.
