Data released by the Ministry of Health (M.O.H.) show more than 8,000 people have been repatriation to Samoa in over 120 flights since the country closed its borders in March 2020. 

The data was released by the Ministry in its COVID-19 Situational Report on 24 April 24. Samoa closed its international borders in March 2020 as a preventative measure against the COVID-19 global pandemic with a State of Emergency (S.O.E.) declared on 21 March 2020. 

The first repatriation flight into Samoa arrived 24 March 2020. For the year 2020, a total of 21 repatriation flights were recorded with 15 flights from New Zealand, 5 from Fiji and 1 from Australia. 

Overall, there were 3,681 people who were repatriated in 2020. However, the number of passengers repatriated in 2021 was 4,148 with the majority coming from New Zealand. 

There were 99 repatriation flights recorded for 2021 with 72 flights coming from American Samoa followed by 17 flights from New Zealand.

Only eight repatriation flights were recorded for 2022 with a total carriage of 1,077 passengers: 4 flights were from New Zealand and 1 each from Fiji, Australia, American Samoa and Tonga.

Therefore, a total of 128 repatriation flights have arrived in Samoa since 2020 with a total of 8,906 passengers.  

All incoming passengers on repatriation flights also paid for their own dinner while they underwent mandatory quarantine. While the costs of accommodation, breakfast and lunch incurred by those in quarantine are covered by the Government.

As of November last year, the costs of running COVID-19 quarantine operations for the Government exceeded $18 million with the Minister for Finance, Mulipola Anarosa Ale-Molioo indicating that 74 per cent of the total cost is for hotel accommodation and meals.

She revealed that the spending on quarantine operations has totalled $18.74 million as of late last year.

The 74 per cent of the total cost is for hotel accommodation and meals (around 6,697 repatriated passengers to date as of November 2021) while 26 per cent of the total cost were for security services, catering, tent hire (for securities) rentals (for transporting passengers) fuel and water.

“The cost of protecting Samoa is well worth vs cost of having a community case in our country,” Mulipola said.

She added that such cost is not only is for protecting Samoa from COVID, but also ensuring that the money stays within Samoa through the payment of local services provided by local companies. 

This is expected to have a economical ripple effect on hotels and other services industries including keeping people employed.