Ali questions advice given to Government

“WHY are we only listening to international institutions who are out of touch with our cultural context and our social norms — making very critical decisions like the reopening of schools.” Human rights activist Shamima Ali said this in a statement where she highlighted the elderly and people with compromised immune systems could be placed at serious risk of contracting COVID-19 from students returning from school.

“Government is very vague and is not being transparent with information on the new variant and the resurgence of the Delta variant as well,” she said.

“This is a life and death situation and we cannot afford to have a revisit of the fiasco that occurred with the second wave that claimed about 700 lives, put ordinary Fijians out of work and overwhelmed our already under-resourced health system.”

She said there was no consistency in the messaging, and new information being disseminated every day has led to confusion and hesitancy by parents to send their children to school.

“Why are we only listening to international institutions who are out of touch with our cultural context and our social norms — making very critical decisions like the reopening of schools.

“We are also aware that many schools have class sizes that are in excess of 40 or even 50 students — how are they going to ensure social distancing?

“Early childhood and primary age schoolchildren will not understand the need to mask and social distance and not share drink bottles and not hug.

“And perhaps the biggest issue is children being exposed to the virus and taking it home to their loved ones and this is where the risk is greatest to the most vulnerable members of our society — our elderly and the immune-compromised.”