The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has reminded the public of the ban on international travel still in place under the State Of Emergency lockdown.
But the reminding notice circulated by the Ministry did not explain why the reminder is needed and why the reference to border lockdowns in all the other Pacific countries including Australia and New Zealand.
The Ministry has played a central role in organising the repatriation flights for returning Samoan citizens stranded in New Zealand .
Samoan RSE workers whose contracts are up and have to return home makes up most of the stranded travellers .
A large group of RSE workers arrived home last Friday and were transported directly to Poutasi, Falealili, where they are isolated in a village hall for the next 14 days for health quarantine security requirements.
The public notice reminded that the ongoing flights organised on a weekly basis are for the purposes of bringing in essential medical supplies and cargo for the country.
It added that the flights also repatriate the 2000 plus nationals and residents that are stranded in New Zealand including the seasonal workers whose work contracts have expired.
The notice hinted at pressure for the flights to include Samoan nationals stranded in other countries outside Samoa.
There are close to 400 other nationals are awaiting the opportunity to be repatriated from other countries of the world where they are stranded.
“A good number of these are scholarship students who have completed studies and waiting to come home,” the notice explained.
Samoans, resident in NZ, are discouraged and disallowed from travel to Samoa for fa’alavelave (funerals, weddings, church/school openings etc) as priority is given only to Samoa residents to return home safely and borders continue to remain closed.
The ongoing uncertainty of the pandemic, and in particular Samoa’s intention of remaining COVID free will likely see more restrictions on people movements in the near future.