One hundred and fifty Samoan workers left Samoa for New Zealand on Saturday, 16 October under a special arrangement to facilitate a One-way Quarantine-free Travel Arrangement from Samoa to New Zealand that was signed by the Samoan Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mataafa and the New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Arden on 1 October 2021.

The Talamua Online reported that the 150 Samoan workers were recruited under the Recognized Seasonal Employment (RSE) Scheme and it was the first trial using of RSE workers who had been fully vaccinated and had been in Samoa for 14 days prior to travel.

Also arriving in Samoa from New Zealand on 14-15 October were 342 Samoan Citizens on two repatriation flights. They are now under mandatory quarantine.

Both flights returned to New Zealand with 179 passengers including 48 Samoan seafarers, who are taking up overseas employment.

Tonga

It appears there are no immediate plans for Tonga to follow suit.

A spokesperson from Tonga’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, that oversees the RSE Scheme, said today that they were aware of the One-way Quarantine-free Travel Arrangement that Samoa had signed with New Zealand.