Fiji is COVID-19 Free, One of 13 Countries With Zero Cases

Fiji is COVID-19 free, one of 13 countries which can boast of this massive feat. It is a huge deal when out of 204 countries only 13 have brought their active cases down to zero and it is an even bigger deal when a tourist destination like Fiji has managed to do this.

At the time of writing this, the only other countries who could boast of being coronavirus free are:

■ Isle of Man

■ Faeroa Islands

■ Aruba

■ French Polynesia

■ Macau

■ Eritrea

■ Timor Leste

■ Belize

■ Saint Kitts and Nevis

■ Falkland Islands

■ Greenland

■ Turks and Caicos

What does COVID-19 free Fiji mean for us?

Firstly, we do not go back to the old normal. If anything, this means we continue with the good hygiene practices of washing hands for 20 seconds, maintaining social distancing.

This is the new normal. We have seen the second wave of this virus hitting other countries, including Wuhan in China where this virus was first recorded.

Having a second wave of infections will continue to be a big worry for us.

But, today, we can rejoice knowing that the steps Government took kept all Fijians safe.

We are one of the very few countries where no one died of this virus and let’s keep it that way.

While every Fijian (except the curfew breakers) played their part in keeping the infection from spreading, it is critical that everyone downloads the careFIJI app when it is made available.

This will become essential when our borders reopen and we are able to welcome visitors back in Fiji, but even before that, this app will play a huge role in ensuring we are well resourced and prepared for a second wave.

Photo: Ronald Kumar Nausori Market vendor, Shashi Kala at her stall. People are advised to still take precautionary measures despite Fiji being COVID-19 free. Wash your hands, wear a face mask if you’re feeling unwell, and maintain a safe physical distance from others as much as possible.