More than nine thousand people in Samoa have been vaccinated against COVID-19 with the AstraZeneca vaccines as of this Tuesday, new figures show. 

According to the Health Ministry, of the 9,249 total, 5,272 are male and 3,977 female.

The caretaker Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi, in an interview with TV3 on Wednesday, said that there are ongoing preventative measures being put in place to stop COVID-19's spread to Samoa. 

“We are still preparing for the time when the virus arrives and we are well prepared,” he said.

Tuilaepa said that Samoa is still under a state of emergency, the rules of which are still in force while preparing for incoming passengers in case of someone carrying the virus.  

He noted that only those passengers who have been vaccinated are allowed to come.

When asked about reports of some vaccination sites being empty, he said the Government was fighting against apathy in certain parts of the population. 

“This also happened during the measles epidemic; we tried and urged everyone," he said. 

Samoa received 24,000 doses in April and it has been more than two weeks since the COVID-19 vaccination programme rolled out.

While Samoa continues to bring citizens and essential workers into the country such as the recently arrived group of Chinese workers who are all vaccinated and will be in quarantine for 14 days. There are 188 workers. 

In the region, Papua New Guinea has been hardest hit by the virus with 11,200 active cases, and 200 people already dying of COVD-19 whereas in Fiji, there are more than 30 cases of the coronavirus which were caught in the community.