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Samoa and Tonga on Friday declared a state of emergency as part of their efforts to curb the COVID-19.
While announcing the 14-day state of emergency which will be effective from midnight Friday, Samoa's Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said that the state of emergency orders include a national prayer week from March 22 to 29, shutting down international travel except for returning Samoan citizens (who will require negative COVID-19 tests five days before travelling), and a ban of gatherings of five people or more.
Public transport such as buses would be temporarily stopped and night clubs and cinemas will be closed. Market hours will be restricted and travel to Samoa's largest island of Savai'i is limited to 3 days a week.
Working hours for public servants working in non-essential services will also be reduced.
The state of emergency orders also include flights to Tonga and Fiji being halted, only one flight to Australia a week being permitted and limited flights to New Zealand.
Meanwhile, Tonga's Prime Minister Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa also declared on Friday a state of emergency which banned all foreign nationals from entering Tonga in a restriction effective until April 17.
All Tongan citizens and emergency officials arriving in the island nation will now have to go through a 14-day quarantine period.
Currently, there have been no confirmed cases of the COVID-19 in Tonga and Samoa, which just had a suspected case.
On Wednesday, the Samoan Health Ministry confirmed the case, saying that the person, a resident in Auckland, New Zealand, flew to Samoa on March 11 for a family occasion but was presented at the hospital in the capital city of Apia after experiencing flu-like symptoms for two days.
The patient is currently in stable condition and samples have been sent to Australia for testing. Results are expected in a couple of days.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
