Tourism employs about 150,000 people in the Pacific nation, but travel restrictions mean the work and the money are drying upOn a typical evening Suva’s Holiday Inn is packed with guests from all over the world. As of 20 July 2020, the country has had a total of 27 cases from the islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. Monday July 06, 2020, 14:14pm . The Fijian Ministry of Health and Medical Services advises that there are currently no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Fiji. International politics are involved so there might be things like safe countries or blocs of countries that have their own agreements for travellers.“Tourism is a people to people business and fundamentally goes against social distancing,” he said. As of 2 February 2020, there are no confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Fiji.Given the global spread of the virus, the government has decided on this measure of extreme precaution in the interest of mitigating the risk of an outbreak of the coronavirus in Fiji.Government is working closely with all international carriers to ensure that any traveller who fall under these restrictions are not permitted to board flights to Fiji at their international departure location.Earlier-announced precautionary measures to maintain a hygienic environment and screen ill passengers will continue to be taken in-flight to further minimise any risk.
As coronavirus travel restrictions bite, the Pacific nation will be brought to its economic knees.Tourism makes up nearly 40% of Fiji’s GDP. While Fiji's Government has indicated it wants to be part of any Australia-New Zealand travel bubble to restart its crippled tourism industry, it could still be months before Fiji's borders reopen. The government responded swiftly and firmly to the outbreak, closing the … Many of those employed in the tourism sector support dependents in a country where the wages are low, cost of living is high, and government support is minimal.The wages Joape Anare earned while working at the Tanoa Group of Hotels in Nadi supported his parents and put his two sisters through school.He was laid off due to the coronavirus crisis and has been has forced to move back to his village on Beqa Island, located about 45km south of Suva, to survive from subsistence farming.“Handing in my uniform before leaving was really hard and indeed an emotional experience. Last year, Fiji had more tourists coming into the country (894,000) than residents living in it (roughly 880,000). Since the pandemic, his hours have been reduced and his salary halved and Yavala wonders how he will support his elderly parents. But even if the worst-case health scenario is avoided, a Tourism contributes nearly 40% to Fiji’s gross domestic product – about FJ$2bn (AU$1.4bn) – and directly or indirectly employs over 150,000 people in various industries. Fiji has so far recorded 16 confirmed Covid-19 cases with no deaths so far. Fiji's prime minister Frank Bainimarama, flanked by government officials and ministers, announces the country's first case of Covid-19 coronavirus on Thursday. Friday July 31, 2020, 23:04pm.

Yesterday, 18 February 2020, a 9-year-old boy was admitted and isolated at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH). The bulk of its tourists come from nearby Australia (41%) and New Zealand (23%), which like many countries around the world have banned international travel.Fiji Airways, the country’s national airline, has grounded 95% of flights amid travel restrictions and border closures around the world and the Fiji Hotel and Tourism Association (FHTA) says a staggering 279 hotels and resorts have closed since the outbreak reached Fiji, causing more than 25,000 to lose their jobs, particularly in the western part of the country’s main island, the hub of the industry and the gateway to many resort islands.“This will be catastrophic,” says Tony Whitton, managing director of Rosie Holidays and Ahura Resorts. Background.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

First COVID-19 related death in Fiji. But tonight, the dining room of the hotel, one of the most popular in Fiji’s capital, which normally buzzes with the dinner rush, stands empty,Looking lost amid the empty tables is waiter Samuela Yavala.“I’ve been in the industry for a good 19 years and I have never seen anything like this,” he says.Before the coronavirus crisis, Yavala could make FJ$300 (£106) a week after overtime and tips, which is relatively high for country with a minimum wage of FJ$2.68 an hour for unskilled workers. The first case of the disease in Fiji was reported on 19 March 2020 in Lautoka.