COVID-19

The Ministry said 583 people have recovered and 1,493 remain active cases.

Upolu island still has the majority of cases with 97 percent.

The Ministry also said that Covid-19 infections are significantly higher among those aged from 15 to 35, but infections among children aged 4 and below are also increasing.

Four new border cases were recorded on a flight from New Zealand on Tuesday.

According to the Ministry, the community cases are of the BA1 sub lineage of the Omicron Covid variant.

Samoa also recorded its first Covid-related death this week.

The Covid-19 drive-through and walk in vaccination was held at 12 designated sites. 

The drive-through and walk-in-sites included: EPI blue building of the MOH opposite Seb and Rene Store at Motootua; Heal Centre at Matagialalua; WHO-Credentialing Building opposite NKF Building – Motootua.

Lufilufi Hospital, Lalomanu Hospital, Poutasi Hospital, Sa’anapu Hospital, Leulumoega Hospital were also designated vaccination sites.

Luatuanuu Primary; Laulii Primary; Letogo Primary; Fagalii Primary were also set aside as vaccination sites

The designated sites opened at 8am and will run until 2pm today.

The sites are located at:

The Ministry also confirmed 155 new community cases recorded in 24-hours as of Wednesday, 23 March.

This brings the total number of community cases detected since 17 March 2022 to 622.

Of this total, 606 cases are confirmed in Upolu and 16 active cases in Savaii.

A total of 940 Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) have been carried out to date since Tuesday, 22 March 2022, in 17 designated Covid-19 screening sites, in addition to tests conducted in health facilities.

Of this total, 827 were administered in Upolu and 113 in Savaii.

There have not been recent public revelations of the numbers of Covid cases and deaths, but at least 639 fatalities have been recorded.

From today the need for booster shots to reach fully vaccinated status are dropped - two doses will suffice.

People arriving by boat, including cruise ships, will no longer require tests within 72 hours of boarding, but they have to be fully vaccinated and will be tested on arrival.

People arriving by air, internationally or domestically, must be fully vaccinated unless they are PNG citizens or permanent residents.

This included 15 imported cases and 85 people who tested positive on Sunday.

There are 192 cases reported on Upolu, four cases reported on Savai'i but no cases reported on the islands of Manono or Apolima.

Eleven people are reported to be in isolation at Moto'otua Hospital.

The first case of community transmission was identified on Thursday and since then the Ministry of Health has carried 2,207 tests at six Covid-19 screening sites in addition to tests conducted in health facilities.

Its first community case was confirmed Thursday night.

In response to the additional cases, Cabinet activated its zoning policy as part of the National Covid-19 plan to help stop the spread of the virus.

To date, there are 12 community cases in addition to the 15 cases confirmed earlier this month of passengers from New Zealand.

Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa said Cabinet was advised on Friday by the National Emergency Operations Committee of the new cases from the various testing sites.

Shops and pharmacies have been packed with customers buying supplies since the morning.

At the Salelologa and Mulifanua wharfs, travelers are trying to catch the ferry to return to their families before inter-island travel is banned as the country moves to Alert Level 3 from 12am Saturday to go into lockdown.

The Tupua Tamasese Meaoloe Hospital in Motootua is conducting Covid tests for the employees.

Photo file 

At a press conference last night, Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa said the ministry will provide all necessary health measures to contain a potential rapid community transmission.

“Cabinet will assess the situation before the end of the nationwide lockdown and will advise the country accordingly,” she said while announcing the country’s first community transmission.

The case is a young woman who went for a routine test on Thursday as she had intended to travel overseas at the weekend.

Samoa's Minister of Agriculture Laauli Leuatea said that national initiatives to lessen Samoa's chronic dependency on food imports, were being held back.

"Our efforts have been slowed down due to the closing down of our borders and our state of emergency rules to limit the introduction and spread of the Covid-19 virus," said Leautea.

"These have resulted in further reductions in our food and income security due to the financial pressures of the regular disruptions in the food supply chain."