Samoa's overnight curfew will ease, schools will begin opening this week and some travel can resume under changes to Covid emergency restrictions.
However, the country remains at Alert Level Two and the government has extended this until midnight May 31.
Samoa's government orders two-day lockdown to roll out a mass Covid-19 vaccination drive. September 2021 Photo: RNZ Pacific/Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia
Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa has announced the removal of the 11pm to 6am curfew and high schools will begin opening from Wednesday with primary schools going back to normal classes on May 30.
All pre schools will resume from July 4.
Fiame said there would be weekly flights to and from New Zealand and Australia starting from June 22 with a fortnightly flight from Fiji.
All travel bookings can again be made with travel agents.
Initially travel to Samoa is open to Samoan citizens as well as travellers with exempt status.
Contracted workers will have exempt status and Fiame announced international borders will be open to everyone from August 1.
Fine for breaking isolation rules
Samoa's Ministry of Health has updated its travel advisory with a new fine for those who do not adhere to isolation conditions on arrival.
Travelers to Samoa who break the rules will be fined up to 2,000 tālā or US$740 - or be publicly named - or both.
Samoa opens its border to international travellers from August 1 and the Ministry of Health said airlines are encouraged to conduct pre-departure passenger screening looking for signs and symptoms of Covid-19 including temperature checks.
The Ministry requires all travellers 12 years and older - including flight crew - to be fully vaccinated, and it will only allow hard copies of vaccine certificates.
All arriving passengers will do a PCR test and must sign a consent form for self isolation for seven days - with testing to be done at a health facility or clinic on day three and seven of self isolation - with results reported to the Ministry of Health.
