Since Samoa’s travel advisory was enforced last Friday, 13 inbound passengers, mostly Chinese nationals, have been turned away from Faleolo International Airport by health authorities.
Samoa is not taking any chances with the Wuhan coronavirus that has so far killed at least 132 people with more than 6,000 cases confirmed in mainland China.
Government’s Press Secretariat says four more Chinese nationals trying to enter Samoa on a Fiji Airways flight last evening were denied entry by health authorities who have been given full scope powers to protect Samoa’s borders. The four travelled from China and tried to enter Samoa via Nadi where they had only stayed in transit.
The four passengers takes Samoa’s tally of denied paasengers to 13 since enforcing its Travel Advisory Restrictions.
Those denied entry also includes a couple who travelled from the United States via Hawaii and American Samoa.
“Because the United States is now included in the list of countries with confirmed Coronavirus cases, coupled with the 14 days self-quarantine mandate in a country that is virus free, the couple were returned to American Samoa.
Another traveller from China arrived into Samoa via Australia and was denied entry, returning to Australia on the same flight he was brought in.
According to Acting Director General of Health Tagaloa Dr. Robert Thomsen the group departed mainland China two days ago.
Samoa’s travel advisory mandates all travellers from China or any country with confirmed cases to undergo a 14-day self-quarantine in a country which does not have confirmed cases of the virus, before they are allowed into Samoa.
The Government Press Secretariat last night confirmed that since the Border Security Travel Advisory was enforced last Friday 24th January, thirteen travellers mostly from China have been denied entry into the country.
Samoa has also quarantined two of it’s own citizens who had transitted via China.
Two sailors are in self-quarantine for the mandated 14 days at the Faleolo District Hospital for precautionary reasons as prescribed by the Travel Advisory for Samoan citizens returning home from countries with confirmed Coronavirus cases including mainland China.
