The Samoa government is extending the current Alert Level 2 for COVID-19 from midnight Tuesday, May 17th, until midnight, May 31st, but several changes have been made.
Among the changes announced by Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, is the removal of the 11pm-6am curfew to allow for greater mobility for the whole day.
Schools will be allowed to open on a staggered schedule with all government and private colleges reopening on May 18th, and elementary schools will return to in-person classes on May 30.
All pre-schools will resume July 4th, 2022.
The PM also announced that there will be weekly return flights to and from New Zealand and Australia, and a fortnightly flight from Fiji, starting June 22nd, 2022.
All travel bookings will revert back to travel agents with reservations and bookings being handled online and on-site.
Initially travel will be open to Samoan citizens traveling to Samoa as well as those of other nationalities with exempt status.
Contracted foreign workers will also be given exempt status but will be required to leave the country at the end of their contract terms.
Fiame, also, announced that international borders will be open to everyone August 1st, 2022.
Most of the current SOE orders remain unchanged.
