Britain’s recognition of our COVID-19 free status is a tribute to the success of the measures we implemented
Britain has listed Fiji as one of the countries whose citizens and residents do not need to undergo quarantine because of our COVID-19 free status.
That recognition is significant and it’s a tribute to the measures implemented by the Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and direction of the Minister for Health and Medical Services Ifereimi Waqainabete.
Britain is keen to get the borders open again but with restrictions to ensure life returns to normal despite the presence of the killer virus.
Closer to home, our biggest development partners, New Zealand and Australia have not given us the same recognition probably because they are still bogged by their own domestic challenges in as far as their battle against COVID-19 is concerned. Talks of a travel bubble with Fiji and the Pacific are expected to take longer as a result.
In New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, has ignored calls to open the border as the country deals with the second wave of cases through Kiwis returning home from overseas.
NZ like other countries is worried that if the infection rate gets out of hand, the medical facilities may not have the capacity to deal with the additional challenges.
It is strengthening screening and quarantine at the border to ensure that the infection does not spread to the community.
Fiji stands out in the way it has maintained its COVID-19 free status from the border frontline vigilance to community watch.
Restrictions have been relaxed in a measured way to ensure that we do not undo the good work we have done so far.
This achievement has not gone unnoticed. Britain and other countries are recognising it.