Repatriation flight

TV1Samoa reports the passengers have now all been sent to quarantine at various locations around the country for the next fortnight.

Some returning families have been allowed to quarantine in their own homes under strict security conditions.

One family told KHJNews that they were relieved to be back especially to be isolated in their own home.

"At least we can do some cleaning up and odd jobs while we wait out the isolation," said the father.

The Samoan government has planned four more repatriation flights before Christmas.

The government said the delay had been caused by "flight availability".

The flight is designated for returning citizens and seasonal workers.

Meanwhile, a repatriation charter flight from Australia scheduled for the end of the month has been opened to residents and citizens stranded by the pandemic.

Originally the charter was for returning scholarship students who have completed studies in Australia, Japan, China and Papua New Guinea.

The passengers will be responsible for their own airfares.

Prime Minister Tui'laepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi revealed the new plan on local television as well as other amendments to the State of Emergency Orders on Wednesday.

He said there were enough students in Australia, Japan and China to warrant the charter, proposed for the end of September, which would also allow for the repatriation of other stranded citizens.

But he stressed the cost of the charter would be met by the individuals themselves, including costs of quarantine and medical checks.

A Government statement said paramount to the Cabinet’s directive is the safety of student’s but most importantly for the students to satisfy all the necessary COVID Tests mandatory requirements for all returning residents’ to ensure that the country’s security is not compromised.

In his weekly television programme with TV3 and streamed live on Facebook, Prime Minister Tuilaepa. Sailele Malielegaoi said that one of the options will be to explore a direct flight from China transiting through Japan and Australia to uplift the students.

The flight was repatriating Indians stranded by the coronavirus crisis.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "pained by the plane accident".

The rescue operation at the crash site has now been completed and survivors have been taken to hospitals in Calicut and Malappuram, according to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Dozens of people were injured, 15 of them seriously, a senior police officer said.

Air India Express said the two pilots were among the dead.

The Samoa Observer newspaper reported at least nine people had been allowed to quarantine at home.

One such person is historian Meleisea Malama Meleisea, who posted on Facebook that he was at home but had been visited by Police and Ministry of Health personnel. He said there were two security guards on duty around the clock, something he thought was "quite unnecessary".

Authorities said those who were allowed home had made their requests weeks ago and stringent isolation conditions had been placed on them.

They did not confirm how many were quarantining at home.