Emergency ticket breaches near 200

By Marc Membrere 10 June 2021, 6:00PM

A total of some 198 tickets for breaching state of emergency orders have been issued since the national order was first proclaimed in March of last year. 

In an online statement on Tuesday evening, the Government of Samoa stated that a total of 198 S.O.E tickets have been issued in Upolu and Savaii.

Since the beginning of the proclamation, the number of state of emergency order warnings issued stands at 406, with 344 in Upolu and 62 in Savaii. The Ministry of Police, Prisons and Corrections continues to monitor and issue warnings and penalties to individuals and businesses that breach the current state of emergency orders.  

The Government of Samoa had also emphasised in the statement that penalties for breaching the state of emergency orders, not including quarantine, are $200 for an individual and $500 for a continuous offence. 

For organisations and corporations it will be $5000 for a first offence, and fine of $7000 for a continuous offence.

Last week, Cabinet approved amendments to the state of emergency orders for COVID-19 which included changes to the Ferry service on Sundays, flights schedules and conditions for fishing vessels requesting to dock at the Matautu wharf while the rest of the S.O.E. orders remain in effect for the country. 

According to the statement, state of emergency conditions to remain unchanged include the conditions on opening and closing hours for businesses and local markets in both Upolu and Savaii.

The Interim Chair of the National Emergency Operation Center (N.E.O.C) Agafili Shem Leo has been contacted for a comment.

In March this year it was reported that a total of 193 people including companies have been fined for breaching state of emergency orders in the 12 months since the emergency was brought in.  

A majority of those fines are for violating quarantine requirements issued by the Director-General of the Ministry of Health and for gathering in public places. 

The caretaker Cabinet has approved another four weeks extension to the state of emergency orders until July 4, 2021. 

In a public release last Friday evening, the Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet through the Press Secretariat confirmed that Cabinet approved an extension of the state of emergency orders for COVID-19 during their caretaker Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

The extension became effective on Monday June 7 and will last until Sunday, 4 July.

By Marc Membrere 10 June 2021, 6:00PM

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