COVID19 LOCKDOWN DROPS TO LEVEL 2 INCLUDING S.O.E. AMENDMENTS
ADDRESS BY THE PRIME MINISTER, AFIOGA FIAME NAOMI MATAAFA:
Good morning on this 28th day of January.
As of yesterday, following the administering of the third PCR Test for all quarantined and isolated passengers and frontline officers, one more passenger returned a positive test of COVID 19.
This brings the number of people affected with COVID 19 in isolation and quarantine sites to 27. This new case is a close relative/contact of the 21 passengers already affected with the virus and was isolated at Faleolo Hospital. All 27 affected people are asymptomatic.
We have also received the results of 7 specimen variant determination tests sent to New Zealand on January 22. 6 were of the Omicron variant and one was Delta. From the regular testing schedule there is no community transmission.
For this reason, Cabinet in reviewing the conditions of each of the different levels of responses to COVID 19, considering that none of our frontline staff is affected (except for the 5 nurses in the isolation ward at Motootua), Cabinet has endorsed to change our responses to COVID 19, to Alert Level 2 or AMBER from the current Level 3 RED of high risk.
Level 2 is activated upon confirmation that any affected person is isolated in a controlled quarantine site and there is no community transmission. Accordingly Cabinet has reviewed the State of Emergency Order as follows:
LEVEL 2 – COVID 19 RESPONSES (ORANGE)
- Reopen work, businesses, and government services;
- Allow public gatherings to cap at 30 people;
- Permit only cargo flights into and out of Samoa until further notice;
- Suspend inbound repatriation flights, seasonal workers flights and outbound passenger service flights until further notice;
- Continue regular inter-island ferry services between Upolu and Savaii but maintain social distancing;
- Container ships and oil tankers allowed to berth at Matautu wharf to ensure adequate food and fuel supply chains for Samoa;
- Public transportation is restricted to taxis (4 passengers); buses to keep passenger numbers to 20
- School openings to be suspended but encourage the use of virtual, audio-visual and other e-learning platforms; and
- 12 years and under age groups are prohibited from public places.
All other orders as of the State of Emergency Order 63 remain.
The public health conditions to be observed during Level 2 are:
- Mandatory wearing of facial masks;
- Mandatory showing of vaccination cards;
- Social distancing;
- Vaccination roll out for those who have not started nor completed doses;
- Regular PCR testing for people in quarantine;
- Booster doses roll out; and
- Pediatric vaccination roll out when available.
This change will come into effect on the suspension of the nationwide lockdown at 6pm this evening and will be for a duration of 2 weeks .
The changes are necessary to ensure that our country is protected, and the safety and security of our people is maintained.
I wish you a peaceful weekend ahead. May God bless us all
Soifua
