Anyone travelling to Fiji unvaccinated will be put into quarantine and we will vaccinate them, says Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama.

The PM revealed this while speaking to health officials at the Tavua Hospital yesterday.

He said an Asian national, who arrived in the country via an Air New Zealand flight last month, was found to be unvaccinated after he was found ill.

“There were some people coming through Air New Zealand flights. With Fiji Airways flights, we check people before they come on board, but Air New Zealand flights have not been checked and there is this particular person that came in unvaccinated. We have just discovered this when he was sick.

“We are trying to vaccinate our people and we can’t afford people coming from overseas trying to sneak in without getting vaccinated.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama with members of the community while on tour in the Western Division
October 13, 2021. Photo: Nicolette Chambers

“So, when they come in, we will put them into quarantine. We will give them the first dose and they will stay there in quarantine until we give them the second dose and that is when they can come out.”

He said people in the West must stand ready as the country prepares to open its international borders to visitors from other countries.

“We would love to have tourists on board, we should be prepared for that especially those of you in the Western Division. There will be a lot of influx from the tourist industry in the Western Division,” the PM said.

Mr Bainimarama also encouraged frontline personnel in the West to maintain momentum in their COVID-19 response, in particular efforts that would lead to the full vaccination of our nation’s targeted population.

Mr Bainimarama is currently on a three-day tour of the Western Division, visiting vaccination centres and COVID-19 command centres. The tour ends today.

Edited by Jonathan Bryce

Feedback: nicolette.chambers@fijisun.com.fj