LET’S GET SERIOUS ABOUT MASK WEARING, PHYSICAL DISTANCING, ALL HEALTH PROTOCOLS
The evidence is there for all to see. Many are not wearing masks in public transport and ignoring physical distancing.
This blatant defiance of health safety rules is shameless and frightening because it is a super spreader for both Delta and the more transmissible Omicron variant of the COVID-19 variant.
A photo of a packed and overloaded school bus on the front page of the Fiji Sun yesterday told the story.
If the variants are spreading rapidly again in a new wave we know why.
What is happening in Australia, the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Europe is a valuable lesson to us here in Fiji.
Their daily positive cases have spiked sharply, in some cases overrunning their health systems, as they battle the new wave.
Two main factors
Two main factors contribute to the rapid increase in positive cases - noncompliance of health protocols and of course the unvaccinated.
How many times have we heard Dr
James Fong, the Permanent Secretary for Health and Medical Services, advise us to follow the safety measures and get vaccinated.
Even when borders were reopened he made it clear that we were not out of the woods yet.
We needed to adhere to the wearing of masks, physical distancing and washing of hands among all the other health requirements.
The variants travel using human contacts and movements as the means to do it.
The only way we can restrict their spread is to strictly comply with the protocols. There is no other way. We can go back to a lockdown, but we do not want that option because the net negative impact on the country in terms of the economy far outweighs the benefits.
The way to control the situation is
to be obedient and follow the rules and minimise the risks. It’s all about learning and adjusting to live with the virus.
If we are on the same page we will eventually stop the spread like we did previously and prompt the reopening of borders.
Mask wearing
Mask wearing is compulsory when interacting with members of the public. That’s the law. The question is whether it is being strictly enforced.
By the look of things it is not. We need to change it so that everyone who is required to wear a mask is wearing one when out with people in public.
Why enforcement officers are unable to hold offenders accountable is not known. Is it because there are too many offenders and they lack the manpower to apprehend everyone?
One suggestion is for them to carry boxes of masks in their beat.
They stop people not wearing masks, warn them about the law and the consequences of non-compliance and then issue the masks for them to wear.
Then they warn them if they are caught again not wearing them, the offenders will cop a fine. This is a proactive approach and has a higher rate of success.
On the issue of cost, procuring masks for free is a small cost, but the return from that investment is far reaching in terms of people’s lives and the economy.
The indications are that the virus is again running rampant and the only way to stop it in its tracks is if we comply with the protocols with no exception as we did before.