Samoan Govt’s preventative measures impact travellers

Apia: Travel restrictions imposed by Samoa’s government amid the deadly global outbreak of coronavirus are having an impact on those planning to visit from New Zealand.

Although Samoa has not recorded a case, travellers are required to get a medical clearance at least three days before their arrival in Apia to confirm they are free of any infectious diseases.

Concerns

However, a Samoan community leader in New Zealand said the confusion and the cost to get a medical clearance was forcing many people to cancel their travel plans.

Teleiai Edwin Puni, who was in Apia wants better public awareness by the Samoan government to educate people about coronavirus.

Mr Puni said otherwise that might lead to people cancelling their flights as seen during the measles epidemic, which claimed more than 80 lives most of them children.

“There’s a lack of awareness on what exactly [medical clearance] means. “Samoa’s got to provide that form or show people what that form is because if they need to go and see their GP in New Zealand, they need to know what form they’re talking about.

“A lot of them don’t know, are not aware of what’s been put in place by the Samoan government,” he said. Samoan author Lani Wendt-Young, who arrived in Auckland from Apia on Tuesday, said the lack of screening and checks at Auckland Airport was concerning, to say the least. Ms Wendt-Young was disappointed New Zealand did not appear to have any preventative measures in place at its biggest airport.

“Arriving in Auckland, I was actually surprised that there were no checks,” she said.