Apia, SAMOA — The 272 passengers who arrived from New Zealand on Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022 all tested negative for COVID. This repatriation flight was scheduled to arrive last month but was postponed due to the nationwide lockdown following the flight on Jan. 19, 2022.

All 272 passengers were swabbed upon arrival, and all returned negative results. All passengers have settled into quarantine sites for 21 days.

“To ensure minimal threat of the spread of COVID 19 beyond our borders, the 134 highest risk frontline workers were also quarantined, straight after processing the flight, a new policy measure now in place,” according to a press release from the govt. The staff in quarantine for 72 hours, provided all goes well; include those from the Ministry of Health, staff of the Samoa Immigration, Customs, and Quarantine, Samoa Airport Authority, Samoa Airways, and drivers.

The 5 positive cases from the flight of Jan. 19 who were quarantined at Faleolo hospital, and two positive cases in the Isolation ward at Motootua Hospital all returned negative tests on Saturday,  Feb. 12, 2022 after their third negative consecutive test results. As per process, MOH have released them from isolation.

All remaining positive cases are being closely monitored in isolation and continue to remain well and asymptomatic.