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Samoa’s latest COVID-19 order allows travel from Fiji under certain conditions

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Flights to Am Samoa for specialized workers begin this week
fili@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — American Samoa residents including doctors repatriated from Fiji are being allowed to transit through Apia, according to the Samoa government’s amended state of emergency orders for COVID-19 dated Aug. 4th in Samoa (Tuesday in American Samoa).

According to the amendments, travel to Samoa from Fiji via Fiji Airways is permitted with the following conditions for certain categories of travelers:

•     returning residents of Samoa which includes students studying in Fiji and employees of companies based in Fiji; and

•     returning residents of American Samoa which include students studying in Fiji and doctors that are onward bound for American Samoa upon arrival.

For travelers heading to American Samoa, they “must depart for American Samoa as soon as they arrive in Samoa and therefore not subject to the requirements of quarantine but are still subject to other medical clearance approved by the Director General” of Health in Samoa.

There was no immediate information from the ASG regarding these travelers from Fiji as the last known public statement was during the July 26th ASG coronavirus task force where the governor said that between Aug. 1st and Aug. 17th, there will be flights bringing in “skilled workers” under a special provision of the law.

Repatriation flights for American Samoa residents stranded in Apia were to be completed by last week Friday.

Provisions of the governor’s Seventh Amended COVID-19 declaration states that from Aug. 1st and ending on Aug. 17th, flights for Samoa Airways and Talofa Airways “will be allowed to transport medical, technical, skilled workers, other specialized workers requested by local companies and approved by the governor.”

Talofa Airways issued a notice this past week saying that it has two flights confirmed this week for travelers from Samoa to Pago Pago International airport but travelers “must be on the specialized workers list pre-approved by the American Samoa Governor.”

Furthermore passengers from Pago Pago to Apia “must be returning Samoa residents.”

The first flight operated yesterday, which was Wednesday in Samoa and Tuesday in American Samoa. The second flight operates Thursday — American Samoa time and Friday in Samoa. More information call Talofa Airways at 684-258-7665 or 258-7889.

There was no immediately information from Samoa Airways when its flights will operate.