20 December, 2025, 7:37 am Central - 24°C Rain

Samoa govt considers delaying some repatriation flights

Samoa govt considers delaying some repatriation flights

By Dhanjay Deo
24/10/2021
Samoa prime minister Fiamē Naomi Mata'afa chairing her first FAST party cabinet meeting. [Photo: Eyespy Radio (Samoa) ]

Samoa Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa has hinted that her Cabinet will consider a recommendation from the National Emergency Operations Committee to delay some of the planned repatriation flights from New Zealand and Australia.

The Chairman of the Emergency Committee, Agafili Shem says quarantine sights are getting congested, and with the quarantine period increasing to 21 days, there is a need to slow down the frequency of repatriation flights.

The sudden addition of 70 people to quarantine after a man escaped from quarantine on Tuesday is also causing some issues in accommodating them.

Prime Minister Fiame says Cabinet had been discussing the high costs that the government is paying for quarantine services for repatriated citizens.

She says maybe they need to look at a cost sharing arrangement where they bear some of the costs.

By: Dhanjay Source: Radio NZ

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