By Martha Taumata Faavae
Falealupo village will close its borders to all visitors, local or overseas, once a positive case of the coronavirus is confirmed in Samoa.
The official village spokesman Fuiono Tenina confirmed the plan by the Falealupo council of chiefs and orators.
Falealupo originated as a community along the coastal front close to the sea long before modern land travel brought new changes.
Roads built around the island eventually reached the village and some of the families moved further inland for easy access to transportation.
Today the village residential landscape is changed. Families have moved out to build homes closer to the roadside while others are comfortable where they are. But it is still one village.
The word of the chiefs and orators remain the law and that stands for the Falealupo COVID-19 pandemic health security plan.
“As soon as there is a confirmed case of the coronavirus in Samoa, all families living close to the main road will move out to the coastal location and then we shut our village borders,” Fuiono claimed during a recent visit by the local media to Falealupo.
“This is no spur of the moment decision, we watched and learned of the thousands who have died or infected around the world by COVID- 19 and decided to plan ahead.
“We don’t want a repeat of the 1918 flu epidemic when people died all over the country from the spread of the disease.”
Fuiono believe there were village ancestors who died from the epidemic.
“We may be geographically far away from everyone else but we are not ready to risk our lives from being exposed to the COVID-19.
“We have been fasting and praying to protect Samoa from this pandemic and to save us all.”
The Falealupo spokesman asserted that there is a strict adherence all the health security advice against the usual mass gathering for funerals, weddings and more as required from every village.
Close monitoring of the virus continues with radio and television broadcasts for the village leaders to keep updated on what is happening in Apia and the outside world.
“We’ve learned so far that the disease has resurged in China as well as new cases in New Zealand and it has made us more determined about setting up camp in our plans to close our village borders.
“We have a village population of more than 200 people and right now the emphasis is to continue to study and assess our position to become more effective in our health protection plans.”
Falealupo is generally regarded in cultural tradition as the village on the most western end of Samoa with historical significance in national folklore.
The story of the warrior goddess Nafanua ranks high above all legends and mythology linked to the village.
The lore of the giant Moso who stepped off his right foot from Falealupo to land in Fiji on his left foot is backed up with his huge imprint in the village.
Huge attraction for all visitors to the village both local and overseas.
Despite the loss in any visitor earnings to the attractions Falealupo has to offer the village leadership is determined to keep to the adage’ ‘ Prevention is better than cure.’
