18 November 2020, NEOC Press Conference. A number of passengers booked on last Friday afternoon’s repatriation flight were denied boarding due to non-compliance with health requirements.
Last Friday’s flight brought home 274 Samoans repatriated from New Zealand, Australia, Europe and the United Stated including 27 Samoan sailors who have completed employment contracts while stationed on the Mediterranean Shipping Fleet in various parts of Europe.
As of today, 2,976 Samoans have returned home since 22nd March 2020 on 15 flights approved by Cabinet and the NEOC says health regulations imposed will continue to be strictly adhered to.
“There are no exemptions when it comes to full compliance with the Travel Advisory to protect the country from COVID19,” said the NEOC Chairman Agafili Shem Leo during a joint press conference with Director General of Health, Leausa Take Naseri.
“All the passengers are now undergoing the compulsory 14 Day Quarantine requirement and as of today, there are no incidents of anyone showing complications associated with COVID symptoms,” reassured the Director General of Health adding that daily health checks are also compulsory during the quarantine period.
“Our strict Border Security mandate is so far proving effecting in keeping the COVID19 at bay,” added Agafili.
Preceding the arrival of the flight last Friday, 294 passengers who arrived into Samoa on the 30th of October were all discharged from quarantine sites in good health after a successful two weeks of isolation.
“All were tested and the results came out negative”.
To ensure that Samoa remains COVID-19 free, all personnel involved in managing repatriation flights have undergone refresher trainings of all procedures and protocols.
Trainings have focused for example, on the processes and protocols that govern the transfer of passengers from the airport to the quarantine sites, daily quarantine activities, health checks for the passengers upon arrival and while in quarantine, compliance procedures for quarantine sites and security personnel assigned to the quarantine sites, infection, prevention and control activities including the proper wearing and disposal of personal protective equipment (PPE) by all personnel, and proper reporting processes.
