Samoa learns from measles epidemic

THE Minister of Pacific Island Peoples has compared the Covid19 pandemic to a world war in his bid to slow transmission within the Pacific.

As the virus spreads to the Pacific’s most vulnerable, the minister, Aupito William Sio, is calling for Pacific communities to rethink and change behaviours during this crisis.

The minister’s call comes in the aftermath of a health crisis that plagued his country of birth, Samoa, which just recently dealt with a measles outbreak that claimed 83 lives, the majority children.

He said lessons learnt during the outbreak has better prepared his home country.

There now are 28 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Pacific countries and territories, and another 26 in the US state of Hawai’i.

Fiji has declared its first case and in Guam, which has been hit badly, the number of cases has risen to 17.

Samoa, which announced 8 suspected cases yesterday, has declared a state of emergency, as has Tonga.

Sio said his message was not to cause alarm but to be clear about the gravity of the matter.

‘‘Imagine that this is a world war and the first priority is to keep ourselves safe,’’ he said.

‘‘To do that we just need to stay where we are and if we love our families back in the Islands the best thing that we can do is to stay where we are and try not to reach out.

‘‘These are difficult and different times, we need to renew our thinking about how we conduct all of our affairs so that’s been the constant message.’’

The Ministry of Pacific Peoples is forming a Pacific advisory group to ensure the correct information was getting through.

Sio said this was imperative to combat unqualified messaging, similar to the antivaxxers who spread unsubstantiated information about the measles vaccine in Samoa during the measles crisis.

‘‘The reason why I’m emphasising this one source of information and the truth, is so that our people aren’t susceptible to the fake news happening on social media,’’ Sio said.

‘‘Look to the Government, they look to the Ministry of Health for that one source of truth to help guide them, to prepare them for for what is happening and to help everybody keep themselves safe.’’

In Samoa, the state of emergency is reminiscent of the nationwide shutdown in December during the measles outbreak.

The order includes banning all travellers except returning Samoan citizens, restrictions on public gatherings to a total of five, public transport carrying more than five people is to be temporarily halted and nightclubs, restaurants and cinemas will be closed.

The over 60 age group have been told to remain at home unless seeking medical attention and travel to the island of Savai’i has been reduced to three days a week.

Sio praised the Samoan government’s swift action.

‘‘I was there . . . on the 12th of March and I thought that the Samoan government were a lot more stricter,’’ he said.

‘‘Apia town area looked like a ghost town. So I think they’re raising it to a different level they’ve learnt the lessons, I think, from the measles.

‘‘This pandemic is different because with the measles at least you had a vaccine, with Covid-19 there is no vaccine at the moment.’’

In light of the pandemic a World Health Organisation emergency committee established to manage the measles outbreak response has now shifted gears to Covid-19.

Sio said announcements will be made by the Government about assistance packages to the Pacific in the near future.

‘Imagine that this is a world war and the first priority is to keep ourselves safe.’ AUPITO WILLIAM SIO