Businesses Warned Follow Protocols Or Risk Closure: Commissioner Qiliho
Police up operations with increased laxity in COVID compliance among public.
Wednesday 08 December 2021 | 22:58
Police Commissioner, Brigadier-General Sitiveni Qiliho, in Suva on December 8, 2021. Photo: Fiji Police Force
Police will shut down business operations if they don’t comply with COVID-19 safe protocols.
The stern warning to business owners, as Fiji enters the festive season, came from the Commissioner of Police, Brigadier-General Sitiveni Qiliho.
He said Police operations were now being executed, considering the new Omicron variant that’s already in the country.
Related stories
“We are acting with what we’re doing on worst case scenario,” Brigadier-General Qiliho said.
“The Ministry of Health said it’s contained, our operations are geared towards like it’s out in the public, that’s how we’re treating things.”
Police have ramped up ance noticed among the public, especially with gatherings during this festive season.
They met with nightclub operators and business owners yesterday to brief them on safety measures after they learned that bouncers and security personnel were seen allowing unmasked patrons into their establishment.
“We’re talking to them today (yesterday) to tell them, look this is what’s going to happen and if they don’t comply and if it needs shutting down that place, we will have to shut it down, especially as we go into the festive season with people getting together, that’s what we have to enforce.”
Regardless of statements made that it’s okay for people to unmask when they’re alone in public, he clarified that police will not recognise those statements and continue to fine people.
“The gazetted law is there in regard to the restrictions that are in place, and we will go by that law even though there might have been statements made in the media that are not in line with the law,” the commissioner said.
“We are not going to take those statements; we’re going to go with the law.
“If the law says masking in public areas, we will go with that until that law is changed then we will change our posture. We will stick with the law because there is a general lackadaisical attitude noticed regarding compliance with the restrictions in place.”
Feedback: fonua.talei@fijisun.com.fj
