Fijians to follow world in adapting the ‘new normal’: WHO tells

Fijians have to start adapting to the new way of living, termed as the new normal, as the world evolves drastically as a result of the deadly COVID-19.

World Health Organisation regional director Western Pacific Dr Takeshi Kasai in his latest update said the world “as we know it has changed”.

He urged governments and people to remain vigilant to stop transmission of the coronavirus by continuing the current hygiene and social distancing practices. Dr Kasai has called on the private sector to innovate along these lines and see a new way forward.

He said millions of lives all over the world had been affected as countries go into lockdowns impacting economic activity. He said some nations were relaxing the restrictions they have in place.

He said this was not the time to be lax.

“This is not the time to be lax. Instead, we need to ready ourselves for a new way of living for the foreseeable future.”

According to Dr Kasai, the new way of living which includes social distancing and practices designed to stop the spread of COVID-19 would be vital as some nations feel the resurgence of COVID-19.

Some nations have started feeling the effects of the resurgence. With the new way of living this could be prevented.

WHO has also announced that 70 different research companies were working on a vaccine with three of them starting on phase one. Dr Kasai applauded Fiji and other Pacific nations in controlling the spread of the disease. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama passed on a recorded message to the WHO applauding the efforts of health workers in the region. In Fiji, 18 cases have been confirmed and three have reported to have recovered.