International Borders to open in August says Samoa Prime Minister
Samoa’s Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa has announced the plan to reopen Samoa’s international borders to international travellers from August/September this year.
Before that, Samoa would welcome the arrival of Samoan citizens and foreign contractors from this month.
Critical to the decision to reopen Samoa’s international borders was the current rates of the vaccination programme, amendments to quarantine conditions and the opening of borders of neighbouring countries like Australia and Fiji as well as New Zealand in October this year.
It has been two years since Samoa closed its borders due to the pandemic which has had a major impact on the tourism industry and the overall economy.
Samoa continues under Alert Level 2 for two more weeks commencing midnight tonight until 17 May 2022.
Relaxed restriction
Fiame announced the relaxed restrictions to the current State of Emergency such as:
The National University of Samoa to resume classes as planned for this month.
Secondary, Primary and Early Childhood Education schools would gradually reopen this month upon Cabinet’s consideration of a schedule plan from the education sector on the resumption of schools.
Business opening hours now extended.
Fiame also confirmed that only travellers who test positive on arrival at Faleolo airport would be quarantined at allocated sites and those tested negative would be released to be isolated at home.
Based on the health records and the base with which the virus has spread, it was expected COVID-19 would reach its peak by the end of this month.
Vaccination roll-out commendable
Cabinet has commended the vaccination campaign and the continued leadership by the Health and DAC in their perseverance with the program rollout in the community.
Since 17 March 2022 when the first community case was detected, 9592 cases have been recorded for Samoa.
Of the latest cases, 202 patients admitted, 11 are in isolation at the Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital, 1 in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the rest discharged.
There were 19 COVID-19 related deaths to date including 3 new deaths within the past 48 hours.
It was recorded that 65,949 rapid tests had been administered and a new supply of Pfizer vaccines to help continue the vaccination roll-out in Savaii.
Another supply of Pfizer vaccines arrived from New Zealand in the weekend, and this would assist with the vaccination rollout for the 5 to 11 age group in Savaii.
Talamua