4 Feb 2014

Fines for Fiji public for failing for destroy mosquito breeding grounds

4:27 pm on 4 February 2014

Members of the public in Fiji will now face a fine of up to $2,600 US-dollars if they fail to destroy mosquito breeding grounds on their property.

The Ministry of Health spokesperson, Evlyn Mani, says the new initiative is part of the government's dengue clean-up campaign.

She says health officers will inspect properties at random from next week, and people will be held accountable if no action has been taken on second inspection.

"We will warn them and give them opportunity to clean up, and then of course once, if the same place or same area is infected again, if no initiative has been taken by that person to clean up that area, then of course they will be liable for prosecution and then the fine would come."

Evlyn Mani says the dengue death toll is now two and the number of dengue cases continues to rise.

From November to the end of January the Central Division has recorded 1,635 cases, the West 165 and the Northern Division 59.