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Sydney : Kiribati and Samoa went into lockdown on Saturday after Covid arrived in the Pacific island nations, which had escaped the worst of the pandemic for two years.
According to the World Health Organization, Kiribati had not reported a single viral case until this month, while Samoa had only registered two since the outbreak began.
However, after the virus was discovered in international arrivals, authorities in both countries were forced to impose stay-at-home orders.
Several passengers on a flight from Fiji to Kiribati tested positive for the virus, making it the first flight into the country since borders reopened.
The limitations were imposed in Samoa after the number of cases linked to a Brisbane repatriation trip increased to 15, according to Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa.
The limitations will be lifted on Monday night, and all current cases, which are thought to be contaminated with the Omicron variety, will be quarantined, she said.
After registering its first community cases, Kiribati’s leader stated the capital, which houses over half of the country’s 120,000 people, will be placed under the limits.
“It is now assumed that Covid-19 is spreading throughout the community,” President Taneti Maamau said in a Facebook statement.
Locals are required to stay at home unless they are in need of essentials such as food or medical care.
It was unknown how long the lockdown would stay, but similar limitations were set to expire on Thursday, according to a prior notification.
According to WHO data, approximately 62 percent of Samoa’s population is completely vaccinated, whereas approximately 34 percent of Kiribati’s population is double-jabbed.
