By Staff Writer
Roughly 900 Samoans stranded in New Zealand since the coronavirus lockdown will not be rushed home, with the approval of special flights scheduled to fly them in next week.
The Disaster Advisory Committee, DAC, is extra careful about flying all of them into the country as quickly as possible.
DAC Chairman, Ulu Bismarck Crawley, expects about 150 people on the first home flight scheduled for next week on Friday 22nd May 2020 from New Zealand.
“When this group arrives they will be placed under the normal 14 days quarantine period while we preview very carefully their progress before we look into scheduling the next flight,” Ulu disclosed in an exclusive interview with Newsline Samoa.
Among the stranded are several officials of Government who are urgently needed at work and they are expected to be in the priority group for the first flights back.
Ulu was quick to defend against any concerns at the risks of having these stranded travellers returning at a time when strict health restrictions are being eased.
“Our borders were closed at a time when the coronavirus pandemic was starting to spread in New Zealand but they have been successful in bringing the threat under control in recent weeks,” he reminded.
The Disaster Advisory Committee made up of all the key public sectors including health, is determined to keep international border travel closed for as long as it takes to keep the country safe.
“Our borders are still closed except for these special flights to bring our people home.
“The pandemic is still with us and people are dying everyday in countries around the world where the virus continues to spread.
“It is very important to stress that we will continue to keep our borders closed while we ease our restrictions carefully.
“We’re only allowing to fly in our stranded citizens for good reasons and under special circumstances, but it doesn’t mean our borders are opening up.”
Ulu acknowledge the difficult conditions created by the lockdown but is generally positive with the patience and the positive reaction the public has shown so far.
He is thankful for the advantage of technology making it possible to see from Samoa the fatal effects of the virus where it has spread all around the world.
“Television and other visual technologies have made it possible for us to see how people have suffered or died from the virus every where.
“Major cities in the world with population in the millions are also virtually empty and deserted, it has kept us informed of the threat the virus holds.”
The DAC Chairman tried to soften the serious setbacks to the local economy as a global concern but that Samoa is better off than countries with stronger economies.
He felt the advantage for Samoa is the ability to return to the land for subsistence living compared to a society that depends largely on employment for income to survive.
Ulu quipped about seeing more and more office workers getting into vegetable gardening and how many are now rushing home after work to potter around the cabbages, tomatoes, peas and more.
“Good nutritious food for the family and regular exercise for a healthy body.”