Government has sent a directive to the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) to find a way to bring home Samoan students studying abroad.
In a press statement Cabinet confirms amendments to Samoa’s State of Emergency (SOE) Orders that includes the cancellation of this weeks repatriation flight, the temporary closure of international borders, and the call to repatriate students.
The call has come following the recent death of Eteuati Junior Eteuati, a Samoan scholarship student who had been studying Engineering in Sydney Australia. Government officials have not yet responded to questions relating to the circumstances of Eteuati’s death but it is understood that the young man had been calling home repeatedly, pleading to return.
Samoan students studying at Waikato University in Hamilton have this week also shared a recent incident on campus where emergency services attended to a New Zealand student who died in his room at the residential halls.
Pacific communities abroad have called for closer cooperation to offer support to students who are away from families during these unprecedented times of uncertainty.
The Cabinet Directive to the NEOC reads:
“NEOC is directed to look into appropriate ways to return our children who are on educational scholarships in overseas countries”.
“Le faatonuina o le Komiti mo Faalavelave Tutupu Faafuasei (NEOC) e tagai i ni auala talafeagai e toe faafoi mai ai fanau o loo aooga faasikolasipi i atunuu i fafo”.
Samoa’s borders will remain closed until a further decision is made by Government.
“All international travel to and from Samoa by plane are temporarily suspended except as provided in exceptional circumstances approved by Cabinet”.
The SOE Amendment Press Statement in verbatim:
Teuteuga o Poloaiga mo Faalavelave Tutupu Faafuasei mo le COVID19 ; (Aso 25 Aukuso 2020)
Taofia mo se Taimi Lē Tumau o Faigamalaga mai Niu Sila i Samoa (Repatriation Flights) ona o Tulaga Faatupulaia o le Faama’i o le COVID19 i Totonu o Aukilani-Niu Sila
(OFISA O LE SO’OUPU); I lana Fonotaga Faapitoa 35 o le Aso Lua 25 Aokuso 2020, na talanoaina ai e le Kapeneta ma faatulafonoina ai e le Ao Mamalu ole Malo e faapea:
- Le tapunia o tuaoi fava-o-malo (International Borders) mo faigamalaga uma i le va o Samoa ma isi atunuu seia toe iai se isi faaaliga;
- Le faatinoina o le faasalalauga faalauaitele mo le nofo silafia o le atunuu i le tapunia o faigamalaga a vaalele e agai mai i Samoa i le taimi nei;
- Le faatonuina o le Komiti mo Faalavelave Tutupu Faafuasei (NEOC) e tagai i ni auala talafeagai e toe faafoi mai ai fanau o loo aooga faasikolasipi i atunuu i fafo;
- Le tolopo o le faigamalaga mai Niu Sila sa fuafuaina i le Aso Faraile 28 Aokuso 2020 seia toe iai se isi faaaliga.
Le amata faamamaluina o nei suiga i le Aso Lulu 26 Aokuso 2020 seia toe iai se isi faaaliga.
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.
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AMENDED STATE OF EMERGENCY ORDERS FOR CORONAVIRUS
(COVID-19) 25th April 2020
GOVT. PRESS SECRETARIAT; One new amendment has been added to the State of Emergency Orders for Coronavirus (COVID 19) as prescribed by the constitution and signed into law by le Ao Mamalu ole Malo, Tuimaleali’ifano Va’aletoa Sualauvi II this evening.
The amendments reads as follows: All international travel to and from Samoa by plane are temporarily suspended except as provided in exceptional circumstances approved by Cabinet.
This Order commences on 26th August 2020.
The rest of the State of Emergency Orders remain in force.
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