Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa will address the Country tonight at 8 pm, via the Government of Samoa’s Facebook page.
Initially, the media was informed that the Prime Minister’s announcement was scheduled at 4 pm, but due to internet connectivity issues, it’s been postponed to 8 pm tonight.
This was confirmed in a notice issued to the media by the office of the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister’s announcement will determine whether the Government will extend the lockdown or relax the State of Emergency Orders.
Samoa went into lockdown on 18 March, in light of its first recorded COVID-19 community transmission case. Prime Minister said at the time, the woman went to take the test as a prerequisite to travel overseas when the test came back positive.
To date, the National Emergency Operations Committee have yet to issue a statement on its “investigation” as to how the virus leaked out when the woman in question has been in Samoa for over two years.
A month later two COVID related deaths have been recorded and the latest data from the Ministry of Health as of Sunday 3 April 2022 confirmed 164 new community cases recorded in the last 24hrs. This brings the total number of community cases detected since 17th March 2022 to 2,443.
“Of this total, 1,514 are active cases while 927 people are confirmed to have fully recovered. A total number of 23,419 RATs have been administered by the Ministry of Health.”
A total of 12 people are currently being isolated at the Moto’otua National Hospital.
“The Ministry of Health confirmed one (1) new COVID-19 related death in the last 24hours and brings the cumulative total number of deaths of COVID-19 to two (2).”
In the meantime, the Ministry of Health is rolling out its mass vaccination in the villages for paediatric Pfizer Vaccination for 5 to 11 years old (1st dose only for children who have just turned 5 or have not yet vaccinated); boosters for 18 years and above with a minimum of 3 months since completing the first two doses of COVID-19 primary series vaccination and Pfizer vaccination for 12 to 17 years (1st and 2nd doses only).
The Government have also decreased the days for passengers to be in Managed Isolation and Quarantine to seven days, but subject to change if passengers are tested positive.
