Coronavirus Covid-19

American Samoa was to host the inter-governmental meeting involving eight Polynesian members in April.

Originally the territory was to host the event in July 2019 but Governor Lolo Matalasi Moliga asked Tuvalu, which hosted the Pacific Forum meeting, to host the PLG alongside the forum.

Lolo had said the territory would step up and host the meeting in January 2020 instead.

However, because of the Samoan measles epidemic, the governor then postponed the meeting until April.

The rise in Italy, the main focus of infection in Europe, represents a 25% surge in 24 hours.

Several European countries announced new cases traced to Italy.

Also on Wednesday, the World Health Organization said that for the first time the virus was spreading faster outside China, where it originated.

Globally, more than 80,000 people in about 40 countries have been infected with the new coronavirus, which emerged in December. The vast majority remain in China.

Covid-19, the respiratory disease caused by the virus, has killed more than 2,700 people so far.

The Government of Samoa, working with the relevant New Zealand authorities and its offices in Wellington and Auckland had organised accommodation and made final arrangements for the students and their dependents to travel back to Samoa on 22 February 2020.

Three current students and a former student were evacuated to New Zealand on 5 February.    

The voluntary evacuation was undertaken by the Government of New Zealand for their nationals, Australians and five other Pacific countries including Samoa at the request of the Government of Samoa.

The infections among members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Shincheonji) are linked to one woman.

The sect in the city of Daegu accounts for 30 of 53 new cases, with officials warning of an unprecedented crisis.

South Korea also confirmed its first death from the disease Covid-19.

The coronavirus, which originated in China's Hubei province, causes pneumonia-like symptoms.

China has now seen 2,118 deaths and recorded nearly 75,000 infections.

Sarah Dalton, executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, said the so-called "winter surge" was now "the new normal" in many hospitals.

"It's not unusual for our medical wards to be over 100 percent occupancy even outside the winter surge.

"So if we get flu at the same time as Covid-19, that seems like too many things."

Health workers had borne the brunt of the Covid-19 outbreak in China and their experience showed clear protocols and protective equipment were needed now, before the virus arrived, she said.