Students and teachers in a number of schools in Upolu and Savai’i have been stricken down by a viral infection with flu-like symptoms with parents also keeping their children at home.

The Principal of the Salelologa Primary School in Savai’i, Muagututi'a Tuitama'i Posese, told the Samoa Observer on Monday that two of her teachers are currently down with the viral infection.

"I have two teachers that are home because of the flu," the Principal said.  "I told one of them recently that she had to go home because we need to reduce infections amongst the children and staff.”

The primary school on the big island currently enrolled over 700 children with Muagututi'a revealing that they were forced to use two separate buses for their students’ pickup and drop off to reduce risks of infection.

"We have over 700 children in our school so we have now adapted to this new virus by using two buses to transport the children home and to school in the mornings.

"It is hot in the afternoons so we opted to have the buses wait out in the front 5 minutes before we finish school in the afternoons – to take the kids home in the hope that they will not get sick.”

Muagututi'a said the symptoms of the viral infection that has afflicted her staff and students  are cold shivers, headaches and what looks like the common cold.

In Apia a school administrator at the Robert Louis Stevenson Primary School in Lotopa told the Samoa Observer that they are enforcing face masks on campus, due to an increase in infections among students.

"Because of the increase in children getting sick, we have started to enforce the use of masks again," she said.

"The kids are also required to bring their sanitisers or use the ones in the office, but the parents provide them too.”

Due to the increase in infections, the school administrator said parents are also calling in to advise that they are keeping their children at home due to the flu. 

"There are over 400 children in our primary school," she added.

Currently, two teachers are down with the flu and are not at school together with their school principal who is also sick.

As for the Vaiala Beach School, CEO Kerrie Punivalu says their teachers are doing okay, though several of the children were sick over the last two weeks with the flu. 

"Several of our children have gotten sick from the flu over the last two weeks, so we are observing COVID-19 measures by wearing protective gear and using safe distances and sanitisers," she said. 

In the first meeting of the Integrated Vector Control Committee chaired by the Ministry of Health (M.O.H.) last Friday, the A.C.E.O. (School Operations) with the Ministry of Education Sports and Culture, Perenise Stowers appealed for the distribution of accurate data on vector-borne diseases so schools and students can be alerted.

Last week the M.O.H. revealed that over 2,000 people are reported to have been affected by the influenza (flu) which has spread across the country within one week.