Samoa Prime Minister Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi says there are still Samoans in New Zealand who are not showing enough concern about the dangers of Covid-19 and its potential impact.
Samoa PM, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi Photo: RNZ Pacific / Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia
During his weekly national radio address, Tuila'epa said 50 people were not allowed to board a repatriation flight last Friday because they did not
meet proper Covid-19 travel requirements.
''This means they are not worried by the pandemic, but it is nothing for anyone to play around with,'' he said.
The prime minister said some passengers turned up without the required health test evidence while others had documents but without signed verification from medical professionals.
He said subsequently there were 50 wasted vacant seats that others could have used.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the National Emergency Operations Centre, Ulu Bismarck Crawley, also warned that people who had completed the 14 day
quarantine period in Samoa should still take care.
He said NEOC was aware of reports from overseas that people had tested positive seven days after they left isolation.
''We are working on this but I think people just need to be cautious after they leave quarantine, at least for another week,'' he said.
There have been no confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Samoa.
This week it was revealed a man tested positive in New Zealand for Covid-19 nearly a week after leaving managed isolation.
Authorities said he may have had an unusually long incubation of the virus.
