By Staff Writer
Nurses on frontline duties have to stay away from home a little while longer to follow the same quarantine process as the stranded travelers they attended to on arrival.
The Director General of Health, Leausa Dr. Take Naseri, re-confirmed the health safety requirements for his medical staff after the first true case of a virus carrier turned up in a flight of stranded travellers a week ago last Friday.
“ Nurses too have to be quarantined and tested before they are cleared to return home for the same health protection reasons,” Leausa reacted when the confirmed case stepped up the COVID–19 alert warning to Level 1.
“The health risks come with the job and nurses are willing to stay away longer if they have to for the protection of loved ones at home.”
The protective process frontline nurses go through is included in their line of duties and it is a responsibility they have to follow close to a full year now under the pandemic state of emergency.
Medical staff health safety was part of a general reaction sparked by the16 year old Samoan asymptomatic male citizen who became the first real carrier of the virus to enter the country.
He traveled from the US with his mother and was tested positive on arrival and in a second test to follow up on the confirmed findings from the first.
“His mother was tested twice as well and both turned up negative, so she is in quarantine with the others in her group.
“Her son is held at the TTM Hospital Isolation Unit, physically strong and healthy without any signs or symptoms or ill health to worry about.”
Leausa also confirmed several suspected historic cases on the same flight that originated in the US with a stop over in New Zealand on the way to Samoa.
Just over 160 passengers were in the flight . A Fiji Airways flight flew in 60 stranded travellers from Fiji who are also under quarantine.
“All will again be tested next Tuesday and Wednesday in keeping with health requirements during their 21 days of isolation.”
The last group of stranded travellers to be tested and cleared after their enforced quarantine stay were those on the 22nd January 2021 flight from New Zealand of more than 250 passengers.
Frontline workers from nurses and other medical staff to everyone in supporting roles, have earned loud gratitude in Parliament for the risks they are taking and the sacrifices made to keep Samoa safe.
Alert Level 1 for the COVID-19 pandemic is still at low risk but people are required to wear masks, keep social distancing and maintain good hygiene.
