Suva City Council will soon enforce the “No Jab, No Entry” rule in Suva if people continue to breach COVID-safe health protocols.

Council Chairman Isikeli Tikoduadua made the statement after a few vendors from the Suva Municipal Market were taken in by Police on Saturday for not wearing masks.

Mr Tikoduadua said everyone was aware of the protocols, warnings, advice, and instructions that had been forwarded by the Fiji Police Force, Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Government as well as SCC.

“Police have exhausted all avenues of trying to make people do the right thing,” Mr Tikoduadua said.

“I think that no one should be surprised because they have been given the mandate to fine and take people in, because of the high risk of this pandemic we need to make some hard decisions and for us at SCC, we have been campaigning and emphasizing all the precautions.

“I think people should not try to blame the police or pretend that they were not aware; in this awareness campaign if someone says they were not aware then I think it is hard to believe. It is now the time for the Police to do what they are doing.”

Mr Tikoduadua said frontline workers could not combat the virus alone and Fijians needed to work together to fight COVID-19.

“The Police are doing the right thing because that is part of their responsibility,” he said.

“We have our own sound system in the market, and we have the market barricaded and only one entry and exit.

“Our people continue to broadcast, and we put out all these signage beginning from the bus stand for people to put their masks on.

He said it was time that those who continued to disregard the advisories faced the consequences of their actions.

“Sadly, our enforcers go through a hard time and are sworn at when they tell people to put on their masks or to wear them properly.

“It is really sad to see people who are rebellious. The number of cases keep increasing because of such rebelliousness and disregard of directives.

“It is good that the police have finally done this, and this is a wakeup call.”

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