Samoa’s 19th repatriation flight last Friday brought 257 Samoan citizens, including 208 sailors who had been working on cruise ships in Europe.
Three sailors booked to travel were not able to meet Samoa’s Covid-19 requirements and/or those of countries they were to transit through.
One traveler who made the flight to Samoa was refused entry and was put back on the return flight, because he didn’t meet all of the health requirements.
He was a Samoan teacher from Australia and had caught the Air New Zealand flight in Auckland.
The rest of the passengers on Friday’s repatriation flight were Samoan citizens from Australia and New Zealand.
All are now spending 21 days in managed isolation in more than ten hotels. With the latest travelers, Samoa has managed to return home about 4000 citizens from overseas.
The information was disclosed at a press conference of the National Emergency Operations Center yesterday afternoon.
The CEO of Samoa Shipping Services which is responsible for seafarers working overseas, Lautimuia Alo Uelese Vaai, says there are 77 sailors, left to be brought home.
They are looking at February or March to repatriate them.
NEOC Chairman Agafili Shem Leo said they continue to encounter unruly behavior at quarantine sites. For example drinking parties, relatives of quarantined persons entering the premises and other incidents,
He said police assistance was needed to deal with an incident Saturday involving sailors in quarantine.
No details were provided but the chairman pleaded with the sailors, their wives and the public to please abide by the quarantine rules for their protection and also the protection of Samoa’s 200,000 people.
