The Ministry of Health (M.O.H.) has reported another COVID-19 related death which has increased Samoa’s total death toll from the pandemic to 23.

The latest fatality was highlighted in the Ministry’s Situational Report on the COVID-19 Pandemic covering the period from 2pm last Friday 6 May to 2pm Sunday 8 May. The report was distributed to the media at 3.29pm on Wednesday.

The deceased is an 80-year-old male with known comorbidities who was bed-bound, according to the M.O.H. report, which added that he was also unvaccinated and died from respiratory failure due to COVID-19 last Saturday 7 May.

A note at the bottom of the Ministry’s report stated that there are other deaths among the registered cases "that are not primarily caused by COVID-19."

"The test count is subject to change [due] to data cleaning and when data becomes available,” reads the M.O.H. report. 

The Ministry also confirmed in its report that a total of 119 new community cases were recorded with five (5) patients currently in managed isolation at Tupua Tamasese Meaole National Hospital in 48 hours of that recording period.

This brings the total number of confirmed community cases in the country to 10,969 with a majority of the cases (9,646) in Upolu, followed by 1,308 in Savai’i and 15 in Manono Tai.  The total number of positive cases recorded thus far for Samoa now stands at 11,045 according to the Ministry’s report.  

The M.O.H. also released the latest seven day rolling average report on the status of COVID-19 in Samoa commencing 1–8 May 2022.

"This seven-day rolling average report presents important data and trends collated and analysed by the Ministry of Health on the status of the COVID-19 in Samoa," the report reads.

"The report includes trends of positive cases since March 17 when the first community case was confirmed. 

“It also provides current rates of our national vaccinations."

According to the Ministry’s seven-day rolling report, 56 per cent of those who have tested positive are female with 44 per cent male. 

There is still no data showing whether anyone from the island of Apolima has tested positive for COVID-19.