Fully vaccinated tourists will no longer need to stay in Fiji quarantine for three nights from 7 April.
Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum announced this in his 2021-22 Revised National Budget address in Parliament last night.
He said after weeks of establishing private testing facilities nationwide, Fiji is ready to remove the three-night stay requirement upon entry into Fiji.
Sayed-Khaiyum said fully-vaccinated visitors, residents and citizens will only need to conduct a rapid antigen coronavirus test within 24 hours of arrival in the country at an approved testing facility.
He said a full list of the locations will be published online.
“Bringing in more private sector test providers brings in competition that lowers prices and saves costs for visitors especially tourists and those visiting friends and family or returning citizens making Fiji a more attractive destination,” he said.
“So instead of visitors being beholden to a hotel, they have the option of going to a nearby pharmacy that’s been approved to get their test done.
“Blue Lanes initiative which was a smashing success through coronavirus is now giving way to normalised maritime travel.
“We are announcing these changes with confidence because we have developed careful frameworks for coronavirus safety that can be reactivated if and when we need them,” he said.
He said since the cases at the moment, there is no need for most of the stringent public health measures to remain in force.
Meanwhile, wearing of masks in Fiji will become optional from today (Friday 25 March).
Sayed-Khaiyum also revealed this while delivering the 2021-22 Revised National Budget in Parliament last night.
He also confirmed that all venues may operate at full capacity.
“It is up to people to apply the more than two years of experience we have with Covid to do what makes them feel comfortable and safe,” he said.
He said social distancing requirements will no longer be enforced either.
Sayed Kaiyum also said the government will be rolling out the Fijian Vaccine Pass in the next few months.
He said this is part of future-proofing Fiji’s Covid-19 response effort.
Sayed Khaiyum said the first phase will be focused on citizens and permit holders who want to travel overseas.
The Minister for Economy said the government has allocated budget for operational and technical components, including the set-up of the FVP personalisation’s and issuance centres in the Central, Western, and Northern Divisions.
He said the FVP will be in digital and paper format, will be free of charge, and will also contain an individual profile picture for authentication.
Sayed-Khaiyum said the FVP will also display negative COVID-test results and will have an interoperable QR code that can be scanned and ingested by the Fijian Vaccine Pass..
Photo file RNZ Pacific