The Samoan government has extended its state of emergency power through to May 8 as the Pacific nation grapples with its first major outbreak of COVID-19.
Currently, the Pacific nation has recorded over 3,600 cases, with 263 in the last 24 hours. Authorities have reported seven deaths so far.
The current emergency powers were set to end on April 11.
The Pacific nations had remained relatively untouched from the pandemic until recently, with Tonga, the Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, American Samoa, Kiribati, Niue, and Samoa all experiencing their first outbreaks this year.
Currently, Samoa is under lockdown, with businesses and government services barred from opening on Sundays and only allowed to open on Monday to Saturday until 2 p.m.
Churches can open from April 10 with limited capacity of up to 30 people.
International travel into the country was suspended on March 18 after Samoa identified its first positive case of the virus.
Around 66 percent of Samoans have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to Our World Data.
The president of the Samoa Nurses Association has said that over 100 nurses had tested positive to the virus, with more than half recovered.
“There is no question that nurses have been part of the pandemic from the start, as they put their lives on the line to help protect the people of Samoa,” Solialofi Papali’I told the Samoa Observer.
So far 25 prison guards have tested positive, according to Leiataua Samuelu Afamasaga, the deputy police commissioner told Radio Polynesia, who said positive prisoners (mostly asymptomatic) are currently isolating as well.
John Fala, who operates a logistics company, said it was inevitable that the virus would reach the nation.
“We’ve had two years to prepare,” Fala said in comments obtained by Al Jazeera. “Now it’s finally here. Of course, there is going to be a bit of scrambling.”
While the Pacific nations have remained relatively untouched from the pandemic over the last two years, economically it has felt the pressure as tourism revenue streams dried up.
