All inbound Passengers tested Negative .

PRESS STATEMENT

272 passengers arrived from NZ on Saturday 12th February, 2022. This repatriation flight was scheduled to arrive last month but was postponed due to the nationwide lockdown following the flight of 19th January, 2022.

All 272 passengers were swabbed upon arrival, and all returned negative results yesterday morning. All passengers have settled in quarantine sites for 21 days.

To ensure minimal threat of the spread of COVID 19 beyond our borders, the 134 highest risk frontline workers were also quarantined, straight after processing the flight, a new policy measure now in place. The staff in quarantine for 72 hours, provided all goes well; include those from the Ministry of Health, staff of the Samoa Immigration, Customs, and Quarantine, Samoa Airport Authority, Samoa Airways, and drivers.

The 5 positive cases from the flight of 19th January who were quarantined at Faleolo hospital, and 2 positive cases in the Isolation ward at Motootua Hospital all returned negative tests on Saturday, 12th February, 2022 after their third negative consecutive test results. As per process, MOH have released them from isolation.

All remaining positive cases are being closely monitored in isolation and continue to remain well and asymptomatic.