Samoa allowing limited international flights from today

The Samoa Government has approved four international flights in and out of the country during February.

This will include a flight deferred from 22 January due to a nationwide lockdown after multiple positive Covid-19 cases arrived on an earlier flight.

The first flight arrives today and is described as a "cargo only" from New Zealand.

The deferred flight, which will operate 12 February, is also from New Zealand and will carry "cargo and passengers both ways".

Cabinet also approved an Air New Zealand charter flight 16 February which is described as an "outbound RSE charter" to uplift seasonal workers only and is not permitted to carry inbound passengers.

February 19 will see a flight carrying "cargo in, cargo and passengers out" although it does not identify where the flight will originate from.

Cabinet also approved flights between the two Samoas to repatriate American Samoans who had travelled to Apia to apply for visas at the US Embassy.