All 272 passengers on a repatriation flight that arrived in Samoa from New Zealand on Saturday have tested negative for Covid-19.
The passengers were swabbed upon arrival, and all returned negative results on Sunday morning.
The National Emergency Operations Centre said the passengers are now in 21 days of quarantine at quarantine sites.
The NEOC said 134 highest risk frontline workers were also quarantined, straight after processing the flight, a new policy measure now in place to ensure minimal threat of the spread of Covid-19 beyond our borders.
The staff in quarantine for 72 hours, provided all goes well; include those from the Ministry of Health, staff of the Samoa Immigration, Customs, and Quarantine, Samoa Airport Authority, Samoa Airways, and drivers.
The repatriation flight was scheduled to arrive last month but it was postponed due to the nationwide lockdown following the flight of 19 January, 2022.
The 5 positive cases from the flight of 19 January, who were quarantined at Faleolo hospital, and 2 positive cases in the Isolation ward at Motootua Hospital all returned negative tests on Saturday, 12 February, 2022 after their third negative consecutive test results.
The Ministry of Health has released them from isolation.
All remaining positive cases are being closely monitored in isolation and continue to remain well and asymptomatic.
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