Waikubukubu Village in Nadarivatu, in the province of Ba, has gone into lockdown restrictions after two villagers died from leptospirosis.

Village nurse and assistant village spokesperson, Lanieta Marama, yesterday confirmed that a 17-year-old student died last week and a 30-year-old man this week.

Two potential cases remain under medical supervision in the village health facility.

“This has prompted us to act and we have initiated a lockdown in the village from March 18 to April 18,” Ms Marama said.

“We have been advised for no one to come into the village because we are in this lockdown restriction period and that is what we have been following very closely.

“We can go out of the village but with limited access, like students going to school, people going to work and those who want to access essential services.

“But we will not be accepting people into the village because of the risk that still exists.”

Permanent Secretary for Health and Medical Services Dr James Fong said: “With our blessing, we have allowed them to go ahead with their village initiative to lockdown and restrict movements in their village.

“It’s the village’s prerogative to do this and we will just monitor closely,” he said.

“As far as we can understand, the exposure risk is flooding so when villagers opt for a lockdown like this it means you just reduce the risk of people being exposed.

“That means they don’t go through flooded waters, they are limiting their own movement.

“From that angle I don’t see a problem with it but the decision for them to do it was solely up to them.”

Edited by Ranoba Baoa

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