At a press conference at 8 last night Department of Health officials assured the public that the territory remains free of the deadly coronavirus after a near scare yesterday.
Director of Health Motusa Tuileama Nua, Deputy Director Fara Utu, Epidemiologist Dr. Aifili John Tufa and Chief Medical Officer Dr Sai Fuimaono were present.
The purse seine, “Rosita C”, arrived in port around 10 yesterday morning to unload its catch at StarKist Samoa.
It docked at the main dock and five personnel from DOH boarded the vessel and administered the COVID-19 tests.
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The purse seine had left Ecuador on September 21st, and prior to leaving that harbor all 33 crew members tested negative for the coronavirus. The vessel spent 45 days in the ocean fishing before it called into port yesterday.
Dr Tufa said in order to confirm the result of the test with the Abbott machine, they took another sample from the fishermen and tested it with the GeneXpert machine which he described as a more sensitive platform for the coronavirus test.
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The DOH epidemiologist said no one on the “Rosita C” came ashore. And the only people who they came in contact with were the five DOH personnel who boarded to administer the test.
The five are now being quarantined at the Tafuna Quarantine Center for a couple of days, as an extra safety precaution. DOH also carried out tests for their personnel who were close to or had contact with the five individuals.
So what are the lessons from yesterday’s incident?
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