Samoa’s Director General of Health, Leausa Dr Take Naseri, has confirmed that the 5 new positive COVID-19 were part of the 9 passengers under managed isolation at the Faleolo Medical Center.
All 9 had been identified as having close contact with the first 10 positive cases who arrived on a flight from Brisbane, Australia last Wednesday afternoon.
Leausa was speaking at a National Emergency Operations Center press conference soon after Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa confirmed that the country was upgrading its alert level to Red Alert Level 3 and enforcing a country wide lockdown for 48 hours starting at 6pm yesterday.
He explained that included in the original 10 positive cases were 3 children aged 11 months, 5 years and 9 years but their mother had not tested positive.
However a second test the following day found the mother was positive. Four others from the close contact group also tested positive.
Leausa said all 15 positive cases are now under managed isolation at the special wards at Tupua Tamasese Meaole hospital.
He added that all the affected passengers are asymptomatic and well.
Leausa explained that 263 frontline staff who handled the Brisbane flight have been placed in quarantine as a safety precaution.
They include civil aviation staff, ground handlers, airline employees, quarantine staff, customs officers, and police.
All health staff involved in quarantine management are camped at MOH facilities and will remain there until further notice.
Photo:Samoa police enforcing lockdown/Samoa Police Service
