Fiji Police issued 196 public health infringement notices in the last 48 hours amid 240 new cases of Covid-19 in the community.
Fiji security forces inspect cars at a security check post at a residential area as they enforce face mask protocols in Fiji's capital Suva. Photo: AFP
According to police, failure to wear a face-covering or mask in a public place accounted for over 80 percent of the notices issued for the two-day reporting period.
Police said the Southern Division recorded the highest number of bookings with 119 cases.
Both the central and Eastern Divisions recorded 14 notices, west 11 and officers from the Police Special Response Unit recorded three breaches.
Failure to wear a mask in a Public Service Vehicle (PSV) recorded 26 cases, police said. The south recorded 21 beaches and the Central Division five.
Internal border restrictions were lifted last Friday since the latest outbreak began in April this year. But restrictions on inter-island travel and a curfew from 9pm-4am remains.
The government last week announced the next phase of restrictions would only ease on 4 October. Since Saturday, 66 percent of the target population is fully vaccinated, according to Health Ministry data.
Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said once Fiji achieved 70 percent full vaccination, all workplaces, tertiary institutions, houses of worship, hotels, restaurants, cafés, cinemas, gyms, pools and tattoo parlours could operate at 70-percent capacity.
Public urged to comply
Health Minister Ifereimi Waqainabete urged the public to comply with the Covid-19 measures.
"We have to abide by that until the medical experts are able to give us advice. We are working with the technical teams from WHO and ANZMAT after we can then be able to ease off.
"The biggest question is on masking but we've seen how significant masking has really helped us and we must continue to abide by these public health safety measures until the timing is right from my medical experts to be able to come off."
Six notices were issued for breach of curfew, two PSV drivers were booked for failing to comply with the passenger-capacity regulation and one notice was issued for breach of isolation in the Eastern Division.
The Health Ministry said people could report Covid-19 health breaches to any of the police command centres across the country.
Front-line workers on their way to swab villagers in remote Fiji. Photo: Fiji Health Ministry
Concern for remote islands
Meanwhile, health officials remained concerned about Covid-19 cases in the remote islands.
More than 800 residents on Kadavu, Malolo, Naviti, Nacula, Beqa and Macuata Province on Vanua Levu had contracted the virus.
Health Secretary James Fong said 13 people were admitted at the Vunisea Hospital on Kadavu, with six of them Covid-19 patients.
Dr Fong said mobile outreach teams continued to visit villages and settlements, monitoring Covid-19 patients and clearance, and the vaccination roll-out.
"Six high-risk cases are stable and remain in home isolation on Kadavu. Movement restrictions remain in force for all villages on the island," he said.
240 new Covid-19 cases in last 24hrs
Dr Fong confirmed 240 new cases of Covid-19 in the community for the last 48 hours.
This included 79 cases reported on Sunday and 161 on Saturday.
It takes the total number of active cases in isolation to 12,981.
There were no deaths to report since Saturday - but 566 people have died from Covid-19 since the latest outbreak began in April this year.
The Government is set to reopen the country to fully vaccinated international travellers on 1 November this year.
National airline Fiji Airways has submitted a draft Travel Framework to the Government that includes a list of requirements for travellers and hoteliers to adhere to once international passenger flights resume.
A health worker prepares a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine for a resident at a drive-through vaccination centre in Suva. Photo: AFP / Leon Lord