COVID-19 UPDATE: Samoa changes to Alert Level 2 at 6pm tonight

Government services and Businesses reopen at the lifting of the nationwide lockdown as of 6pm tonight.

By Talaia Mika

APIA, SAMOA – 28 JANUARY 2022: Samoa will move to Covid-19 Alert Level 2 or Orange from the current Level 3 – Red which is High Risk, as of 6pm this evening.

The changes were announced by the Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mata’afa at a press conference this morning. “In reviewing the response to Covid 19, and considering that none of the frontliners and staff is affected, except for the 5 nurses in the isolation ward at Moto’otua, Cabinet has endorsed to change our responses to Covid-19 to Alert Level 2 or Orange from the current Level 3 – Red which is High Risk,” announced the Prime Minister.

“Level 2 is activated upon confirmation that any affected person is isolated in a controlled quarantine site so there is no community transmission.”

Accordingly, Cabinet has reviewed the SOE Orders as follows:

• Level 2 Orange Covid-19 Response;
• Reopen work for Businesses and Government services;
• Public gatherings are allowed to be kept at 30 people;
• Permit only Cargo flights into and out of Samoa until further notice;
• Suspension of inbound Repatriation flights, Seasonal work flights and outbound passenger service flights until further notice;
• Continue regular inter-island ferry services between Upolu & Savaii but maintain social distancing;
• Container ships and Oil Tankers will be allowed to berth at Matautu wharf to ensure adequate food and fuel supply chains for Samoa;
• Public transportation restricted to Taxis of 4 passengers and 20 passengers per bus;
• School openings to be suspended but encourage use of virtual and e-learning platforms;
• 12 year olds and under are prohibited from public places;
• All other orders in SOE orders 63 remain.

PUBLIC HEALTH CONDITIONS
The Public Health conditions to be observed during Level 2 Alert are:

• The mandatory wearing of facial masks, mandatory showing of Vaccination Cards, Social Distancing, Vaccination roll out for those not yet vaccinated nor completed dosage;
• Regular PCR testing for people in quarantine and roll out for Booster doses;
• Hope to start the Paediatric Vaccinations when available.
• These changes will come into effect with the suspension of the current nationwide lockdown at 6pm this evening and will be reviewed after two weeks.

“These changes are necessary to ensure that our country is protected and that the safety and security of our people is maintained,” said the Prime Minister.

Samoa has twenty-seven (27) positive cases of Covid-19 in isolation with six confirmed as Omicron variant and one of the Delta variant.