By Staff Writer
A thank you note from a group of stranded travellers surprised health frontline workers at the end of two weeks of isolation, yesterday, Saturday 17 October 2020.
The group of more than 30 missionaries from the Church of Latter Day Saints were in COVID-19 quarantine for the last 14 days at the St. Theresa Retreat, Leauva’a.
The group members were among the 304 travellers who flew in on the first repatriation flight directly from Australia, where they have been stranded for months.
“We wish to express huge appreciation to the health workers team of men and women for the care they provided for us, always with a friendly smile and good cheer,” read the thank you note written in Samoan signed by members of the group.
The missionaries are understood to have been serving in Africa and were on their way home at the end of their ministering work when the borders closed on international travel to Samoa.
“I understand the missionaries were stranded in Australia since March or April,” pondered the Director General of Health Leausa Dr. Take Naseri, who was grateful for the written acknowledgment from the missionaries.
“We’ve had a few people held in quarantine who did express gratitude for the service by our frontline health workers but I think this is a first thank you note from a group.”
All travellers on the flight from Australia a fortnight ago were scattered around several quarantine location in Apia until they were finally released yesterday.
Included among them were Samoan students who flew into Australia from Japan and China to catch the flight home.
Director General Leausa confirmed there are still a few more who arrived on later flights who are doing their period of stay under quarantine.
“The ones who went home yesterday have all been tested negative but have been told to take more care and to report immediately any signs of fever or other health symptoms over the next few days.”
Frontline health workers have kept watch and provided care since health restrictions on international travel to Samoa to prevent against the spread of the coronavirus.
Most of the border work done since the travel restrictions has been on repatriation flights from New Zealand mainly with a sprinkle of flights from Fiji.
The recent repatriation flight from Australia is the first since Samoa’s borders were closed last March but more are coming in before the year ends.
Cabinet has approved more flights for returning citizens to include those from Europe and the United States tentatively scheduled from 30 October – 11 December 2020.
The flights are from 30 October, 13th November, 27th November, 4 December and 11 December 2020.
The chartered flight from Los Angeles is scheduled to fly home returning citizens converging from various parts of Europe and the US.
There are 378 people booked for the planned flight but it not possible for everyone to travel on the one flight.
Those left behind will have to travel to New Zealand to catch a special chartered flight to Samoa before the end the end of the year.
More than 1,300 travellers are already booked for flights from New Zealand in the coming weeks.
