The Lalomanu district hospital on the southeast coast of Upolu has recorded a COVID-19 community transmission case, health officials have revealed.

A staff at the district hospital, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the Samoa Observer that a man from a nearby village tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently being held on the hospital premises.

They said the man went to Apia last weekend upon his return to the village started to feel sick, consequently he went to the hospital on Saturday for a COVID-19 test with his results coming back positive after 3pm.

"We cannot take him inside [the district hospital] because the rooms are within close proximity, but we are keeping him in the tent with the nurse who was conducting his screening, until the managers in Apia [at the Ministry of Health] get back to us with a plan," the staff member said. 

Due to inadequate space at the district hospital, he is currently being held at the testing site and will be moved back to his home to be isolated with his family, with the hospital monitoring their isolation. It is understood the nursing officer who tested the man will also be put into quarantine.

The district hospital will face a staffing shortage crisis if another nurse tested positive for the virus, according to the staff member. 

"We have very little staff and if we lose two to quarantine then there will be even less to deal with the influx of other cases or even COVID-19," he said. 

According to hospital staff, the decision to isolate the man in his village home with his family was made at the M.O.H. headquarters in Apia, and its rationale is to enable the district hospital to remain open to attend to other cases and not close.

There is an increase in the number of people going for COVID-19 tests, said the hospital staff, though there are indications people are afraid to go to the hospital out of fear they could catch the virus.

"I think people are afraid to come to the hospital, today [Saturday] was really busy with COVID-19 screening except for a person who was brought in and died soon after,” said the hospital staff.

Police have set up a roadblock in front of the hospital's gate to restrict access into and out of the district hospital. 

Data released by Government Press Secretariat on Saturday confirmed 34 new cases of community transmission from around Samoa as of Saturday morning.