Fiji's health secretary James Fong has issued a stark plea to Fijians to take care and try and avoid the Covid-19 virus.
In a statement issued from his home, where he is under quarantine as a potential primary contact for another medical team member, he reminded people Covid-19 is a killer that has inflicted mass death in some countries.
Dr Fong took issue with people spreading false information and those claiming the virus won't harm them.
He said they are lying, and "they will lead vulnerable Fijians into ICUs and, in worst-case scenarios, an early grave.'
Dr James Fong. Photo: Fiji govt
Dr Fong said there were 35 new cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday.
He said the Central Division is seeing the biggest spikes in case numbers, but if Fijians are not extremely careful there could be severe outbreaks in many other parts of Fiji.
Dr Fong said the long term path out of the crisis is to get as many jabs in as many arms as possible.
"More than 225,000 have already received at least one dose. That is an excellent start. But we need to immunise more. And we need everyone who has received dose one to receive their second dose when it is due. That is our best possible defense against a wave of hospitalizations and even deaths that could be headed our way," he said.