Samoa in lockdown as charter flight cases grow

SAMOA has gone into a 48-hour lockdown after 15 confirmed cases of Covid-19 were detected at the border from an Australian charter flight.

Samoa Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa made the announcement yesterday morning following an emergency cabinet meeting, the Samoa Observer reported.

The lockdown began at 6pm last night and ends at 6pm tomorrow.

The alert level 3 lockdown was activated after more Covid-19 cases were detected at the border from Wednesday’s charter flight from Brisbane.

The five new confirmed cases of Covid-19 on the flight brought the total of cases detected to 15, after 10 people had tested positive on Thursday – the youngest an 11-month-old, and the eldest a 63-year-old.

Nine people were identified as close contacts and went into isolation at the hospital.

‘‘This morning five more cases have tested positive, this is a significant number for Samoa,’’ Mata’afa said.

Samoa’s lockdown means only government essential services will operate and public transport, schools, all restaurants and churches will close.

There were 73 passengers on the Qantas-chartered flight from Brisbane. All those eligible for vaccination were doublevaccinated.

Previously, Samoa had reported just two cases in quarantine, each on separate occasions. Neither of those cases resulted in any community transmission.