One of the two smaller islands in Samoa which had been Covid-19 free so far, now has five community cases.
The Ministry of Health confirmed the cases on Manono-tai in its latest report which also said there were 485 new community cases around Samoa with no fatalities.
Samoa's government orders two-day lockdown to roll out a mass Covid-19 vaccination drive. September 2021 Photo: RNZ Pacific/Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia
The ministry said this brings the number of community cases recorded since the outbreak began last month to 6,731.
There have been 6,201 cases reported in Upolu, 525 cases in Savai'i and now five on Manono-tai.
The release also said there are 16 cases in managed isolation and three critical cases in ICU.
The ministry also reported that the number of rapid antigen tests administered since the community outbreak is 51,546.
Govt amends quarantine exemptions
The Samoan government has amended its covid-19 quarantine conditions making forensic pathologists and morgue technicians exempt.
Samoa has seven bodies in the Tupua Tamasese Meaole hospital morgue and efforts to secure the services of forensic pathologists from overseas have been thwarted by the quarantine requirement.
The state of emergency now stipulates that these specialists will only need Cabinet approval, though they must be fully vaccinated, comply with other health requirements and leave Samoa when the post-mortems are done.
Samoa has not had a qualified pathologist for some time, relying instead on pathologists from New Zealand and Australia.
A team from China arrived in April 2021 and were quarantined for 14 days and left when their work was completed.
The seven bodies awaiting post mortems at TTM hospital morgue are mostly connected with homicide cases.
The Ministry of Health has not indicated if they have secured the services of a pathologist or when they are expected to arrive.