Enhanced steps to prevent the spread of the Omicron version of Covid-19 in Fiji were announced on Sunday, the South Pacific island nation's official news agency said.

As part of a joint press conference held with representatives from the Fijian health ministry and the police force, Minister for Commerce, Trade, Tourism, and Transport Faiyaz Koya stated that due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant that has been confirmed throughout the country, key measures against Covid-19 should be tightened in order to contain its transmission.

People who fail to comply with the health standards related to Covid-19, according to the ministry, will be subject to penalties starting on Monday.

A punishment of 250 Fijian dollars will be imposed on people who fail to wear a mask in the necessary conditions, according to the ministry (about 117 US dollars). Individuals will be fined 250 Fijian dollars (about 117 US dollars) for failing to do temperature checks, while corporations will be fined 1,000 Fijian dollars (approximately 468.6 US dollars) for failing to conduct temperature inspections.

High-risk enterprises that fail to check their employees' vaccination status will be fined 1,000 Fijian dollars (about 468.6 US dollars).

Among the additional measures that need to be enhanced is Effective Monday, the maximum number of people who can attend parties in homes, villages, and community centers will be limited to 20 people.

Koya stated that if required, the government will not hesitate to punish individuals or close companies, such as hotels.

The minister also asked Fijians to get their Covid-19 vaccination booster doses, which are now unavailable.

The Permanent Secretary for Health Ministry of Fiji, James Fong, has reported five more Covid-19-related deaths, increasing the total number of Covid-19-related deaths confirmed since the confirmation of the third wave of illnesses to 12.

Approximately 1,280 additional confirmed cases of Covid-19 have been reported in the country since Wednesday, increasing the total number of confirmed cases to 57,187, with 709 fatalities, according to the health ministry.

The adult target population in Fiji is currently 94.2 percent completely vaccinated, with 97.9 percent having received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, according to the latest available data.

In March 2020, the country of Fiji, which has a population of around 900,000 people, announced its first confirmed coronavirus infection. It was attacked by the second wave of Covid-19, which struck in April of the previous year.