Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has urged evacuees to clean up evacuation centres before heading home ahead of the new school term.

This is after a briefing for him by Government officials on the path of Tropical Cyclone Mona and the plans for moving evacuees to their homes before school starts.

“At the evacuation centres once the cyclone moves away they should go back to their homes and clear them before they move back … at the same time clear the evacuation centres, especially those schools that are going to open next week,” he said

“They should clean up the schools and leave them in good condition for the children so they can be used next week.”

Despite Tropical Cyclone Mona’s slow exit from the Fiji Group, Mr Bainimarama warned Fijians to remain alert.

“But it’s still a threat to the Southern Lau Group, Lomaiviti Group, Kadavu because it will still bring strong winds with rain and floods,” he said.

“We should keep a lookout for that.”

Director National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) Anare Leweniqila, while briefing the Prime Minister, said all operations
resumed as normal from yesterday.

GIST OF BRIEFING

• 58 evacuation centres and 2671 evacuees;
•  All operations resume as normal;
•  Teams were visiting evacuation centres distributing
  rations;
• Schools expected to start next week;
• Police to help with clearing of evacuation centres
  and helping the evacuees move back to their respective
  communities;
•  Initial damage assessment;
•  Health Ministry teams on alert; and
• Public health teams will start moving out to prevent
  any disease outbreak.

Meanwhile, two Cabinet ministers have highlighted the work carried out by their ministries in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Mona.

Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Disaster Management and Meteorological Services Jone Usamate and Minister for Health and Medical Services Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete updated Mr Bainimarama during the briefing.

Mr Usamate said there would be teams assessing the response of people towards disaster warnings.

“There will be teams going around evacuation centres and flooded areas to conduct assessments,” he said.

“The good thing we saw was when we asked the people to move to the evacuation centres, they did move as a precautionary measure.

“We will get a complete picture of how well it worked after we have conducted an analysis.”

Mr Usamate said the Ministry of Health and Medical Services had some concerns with diseases so they needed to go and inspect the evacuation centres.

“We have a concern that schools need to be reopened at the same time,” he said.

“School will be starting from next week and there are a lot of teachers and students out in the islands so we need to get them back.”

Ministry of Health and Medical Services

Dr Waqainabete said they had teams deployed to monitor evacuation centres on a regular basis, two times a day.

“During these visits, we distributed some WASH and sanitation kits,” he said.

“These are kits such as tablets to purify water and things to keep our fellow citizens clean and healthy and to check if anybody was sick and needed care.

“They are also checking the environment and making sure the facilities are clean. Also they were making sure the way they prepare food is appropriate and clean.”

The minister said despite Tropical Cyclone Mona leaving Fiji waters, they were going to visit and check the communities.

“We have to make sure that the communities are not only safe, but also have adequate food and water and don’t pose a public health risk,” he said.

“This would be done before we give assessments for public health officers, so that they can release them back into their community.”

Edited by Epineri Vula
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