1 Sep 2020

Samoa's State of Emergency extended

From , 6:00 am on 1 September 2020

Samoa's coronavirus State of Emergency has been extended until the end of September. 

In an announcing the extension the prime minister, Tui'laepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi, also said that lockdown restrictions could also be extended. 

Samoa was one of the first countries in the world to lockdown because of the coronavirus in March - and it's been successful in keeping it out. 

But some of the Sstate of Emergency's restrictions - such as a ban on Sunday trading - have been criticised as opportunistic and unrelated to Covid-19, while the regular chopping and changing of the rules has sown some confusion. 

Our reporter Dominic Godfrey has been following events. Jamie Tahana asked him what the government is considering now. 

Samoa's former prime minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi.

PM, Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi Photo: Samoa Govt