The Minister of Health Valasi Tafito Selesele has confirmed the Director General of Health, Leausa Dr. Take Naseri has left the country for medical checks in New Zealand. 

In an interview with the Samoa Observer, Valasi said the head of the Ministry of Health (M.O.H.) made the application to leave for medical checks sometimes last year. 

"The request was approved by Cabinet at the time but was delayed because it depended on when he is available," the Minister said. 

"He has some issues with his back and that is what he is out to check. I signed off his leave for three weeks for that..." 

Leausa left for New Zealand on Saturday last week. There are two Assistant C.E.O.s who will rotate as Acting C.E.O. in Leausa's absence: Tagaloa Robert Thompsen and Dr. Glenn Fatupaito.

The Director General with the Chairman of the National Emergency Operation Centre (N.E.O.C.), Agafili Shem Leo hosted a press conference on Friday last week. 

They confirmed that there are only 7 positive cases that remain in isolation out of the 31 cases, most of them passengers who flew into Samoa on the 19 January charter flight from Brisbane, Australia. 

The other 24 have been given the green light to go home, after been subject to three rounds of follow-up COVID-19 tests which all returned negative test results.  

Out of the 7 left in isolation, 3 are passengers from the 19 January charter flight and 4 are frontline nurses who have been asked to remain in isolation. 

While the 7 left in managed isolation have yet to receive the results of their third round of tests, Leausa is optimistic they too will soon be given the okay to go home like the rest of the passengers.

"So far they've had two testing which all returned negative and we are optimistic that the result of their third test will also be the same," Leausa said.  

He also clarified the reason why all 31 who tested positive were not released to go home all at once. 

"It depends on the time from when they were tested positive," Leausa said. 

Those who were first tested positive, also received the green light to be released home as they were the ones to have completed all three follow-up tests which all returned negative results. 

Out of the five nurses who tested positive, only four are still in isolation, added Leausa. 

He also confirmed that all 272 passengers who arrived in the country from New Zealand on Saturday have tested negative in their second round of COVID-19 tests.  

Asked whether they would consider minimising the quarantine period for the 272 passengers to 14 days, should the results of the third round of tests remain negative, he said they will stick to the 21 days period for all incoming passengers to "ensure that they are all free from the virus."

"But there has been no problems with the passengers from the flight on Saturday from New Zealand," he said.