This archive report was first published on 9 October 2021.
Fiji has achieved a significant milestone in its fight against COVID-19, with 80% of its adult population now fully vaccinated.
As a result, the country is set to ease its COVID-19 restrictions and announce its reopening for international travel, with Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama making the announcement on Sunday afternoon.
“A full three weeks ahead of schedule! I’m grateful to everyone who’s rolled up their sleeves to help make Fiji safe,” Bainimarama said in a tweet.
Under the previously announced plan, visitors to Fiji must be fully vaccinated and test negative for COVID-19 before departure, and once in the country, they will stay in designated zones where all contacts, from hospitality staff to tour operators, will be fully vaccinated.
Reviving tourism, which accounts for 40% of Fiji’s economy, is seen as crucial to containing rising poverty in the nation of under one million people.
Fiji was free of COVID-19 for a year before the arrival of the Delta variant in April, but the outbreak’s case numbers peaked in July, recording more than 1,200 new infections daily.
However, with only 40 cases recorded on Saturday, the country is now poised to reopen its borders and welcome back international visitors.
