The National Emergency Operations Centre has had to relook at quarantine arrangements after it discovered some people taking advantage of the costs borne by the Government.
The Chairman of NEOC Agafili Shem Leo said they proposed that returning Samoan citizens pay for their own quarantine costs from this year.
The costs vary between WST$3000 and WST$5000 according to Agafili.
The proposal excludes patients who travelled overseas for treatments and scholarship students who will return to Samoa.
According to Agafili, this new procedure was initiated due to people who have been travelling in and out of the country normally and made up necessary excuses to travel.
“We had been seeing names of people listed to have come and go and excuse for treatments and so forth and we had been baring with this in the last two years.” .
“Quarantine is very expensive and this had become unsustainable so it might begin this year when people will have to pay for their own quarantine costs which is around $5000 when they return to the country” Agafili said.
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