03 Sept 2020, Apia Samoa. Updated State of Emergency Orders effective Thursday 3rd September confirms the repatriation of students who have completed their studies, as well as Samoan citizens who have been stranded in Australia since the closure of international borders five months ago due to COVID-19.
Repatriation of Students and Citizens from Australia
Issued by the Government Press Secretariat the new orders confirms a flight from Australia scheduled for the end of September.
The flight would also bring students needing to return home from Australia, Japan, China and Papua New Guinea.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade are tasked with all arrangements and coordination of the first repatriation flight from Australia.
The Order refers to the use of an Air New Zealand widebody aircraft and as in previous repatriation flights, passengers will cover their own airfares.
Repatriation flights from New Zealand
The new orders also confirms the continuation of repatriation flights from New Zealand, particularly for seasonal workers who had been scheduled to arrive last month.
Citizens and RSE workers stranded in New Zealand since the end of their short term employment contracts will be able to return home on a flight confirmed for the 11th of September 2020 with an October flight confirmed for any remaining citizens.
The new order has also issued a warning for any citizens who may be travelling to New Zealand for short term visits, and then requesting to return on repatriation flights. Such offenders will be fined $2000 tala and made to pay the full costs of quarantine on their return.
Bringing Home Deceased Citizens
Government has also considered the need to bring home deceased citizens with the tragic passing of a scholarship student as well as an RSE worker in the past month.
All cases will have to follow and adhere to the comprehensive Government process under its Policy on Repatriation of Deceased Bodies, Human Bones and Cremains into Samoa.
The SOE Orders as issued in Samoan:
TEUTEUGA O LE POLOAIGA O FAALAVELAVE FA’AFUASE’I MO LE CORONAVIRUS, (KOVITI-19) – 02 SETEMA 2020
(OFISA O LE SO’OUPU); I lana Fonotaga FK(20) 35 o le Aso Lulu 2 Setema 2020, na talanoaina ai e le Kapeneta le Pepa PK(20)781 ma faamaonia ai e faapea:
- Malaga Faapitoa Togipau (Chartered Flight) mo Tamaiti Aoga Sikolasipi ua mae’a Aoaoga ma nisi e nonofo mau i Samoa o loo poloka i Ausetalia
- Le malaga mai o le malaga faapitoa togipau e tasi e auina mai ai tamaiti aoga sikolasipi ua mae’a a latou aoga (studies) i Ausetalia, Iapani, Saina ma Papua Niu Kini i Samoa;
- E malaga faatasi mai ai ma i latou e nonofo mau i Samoa o loo poloka i Ausetalia;
- Ia feutaga’i ma le Air New Zealand mo le faatinoina o lenei malaga togipau e faaaoga ai se vaa lapoa (widebody aircraft);
- O lenei malaga o le a faataunuuina i le vaiaso mulimuli o le masina nei o Setema;
- Le faatino e le Matagaluega o le Va-i-Fafo ma Fefaatauaiga feutagaiga moomia uma mo le auina mai o lenei malaga togipau mai Ausetalia;
- E faatupeina lenei faigamalaga e i latou o le a malaga mai ai;
- Ia faatino uma aiaiga faasoifua maloloina e i latou o le a malaga mai ai mo le puipuiga o Samoa mai le faamai Covid19.
- Auina mai o le Aufaigaluega Faavaitaimi a Samoa o loo i Niu Sila
- Le malaga mai o tagata faigaluega faavaitaimi (RSE Workers) a Samoa o loo i Niu Sila i le Aso Faraile 11 Setema 2020 ma faamae’a mai ai i latou o loo totoe i le masina o Oketopa 2020.
- Toe Faafoiina mai o Tino Maliliu o Tagatanuu o Samoa mai Niu Sila ma Ausetalia
- Le toe faafoi mai o tino maliliu o tatou tagata ua maliliu i Niu Sila ma Ausetalia i tuutuuga nei:
- I latou na auina atu i polokalame a le Malo e pei o le (a) aoga faasikolasipi;
(e) alii faigaluega faavaitaimi na maliu i Niu Sila ma nisi o le atunuu o loo tagimaiala mo le toe faafoiina mai i Samoa o ō latou aiga e lagomau ai;
- Ia faamalosia pea le mulimulitaia o tuutuuga uma ua faataoto e le Matagaluega o le Soifua Maloloina mo tino maliu e toe faafoi mai;
- Faasalaga mo i latou e solia le Poloaiga e Ulufale mai ai i Samoa ao iai le Atunuu i Puipuiga o le Covid19
- Le faasalaina i le $2,000.00 o soo se tagata ua faamaonia lona solia o aiaiga o le malaga ese atu ma toe malaga mai i Samoa i ni faamoemoe pupuu i le vaitaimi lenei ao iai le atunuu i puipuiga o le faamai o le Covid19;
- Le totogiina lava e sea tagata o lona aumau ai i nofoaga o le a faanofoesea ai pe a taunuu mai i Samoa.
O le a iloilo e le Kapeneta nisi faigamalaga e fuafua mai i Samoa i le lumanai.
E faatumauina pea isi aiaiga o Poloaiga o Faalavelave Tutupu Faafuase’i na mua’i tuuina atu.
O lenei faaiuga na faia i lona tulaga faanatinati e tusa ai ma le Vaega 38(1)© o le Faavae o le Malo Tutoatasi o Samoa.
E amata faamamaluina o nei suiga i le Aso Tofi 3 Setema 2020 seia toe iai se isi faaaliga.
