• RSE workers tested for Covid-19 ahead of long-awaited trip back home

RSE workers tested for Covid-19 ahead of long-awaited trip back home

Despite the prodding and poking, the joy in the air was almost palpable for 30 RSE workers who have been waiting for months to return home.

On Tuesday, the RSE workers employed by Landstaff Limited were tested for Coronavirus at City Medical Napier after spending two weeks in voluntary isolation as a precaution, and three days before a repatriation flight back to Samoa.

Unlike testing conducted by District Health Boards around the country, Tuesday’s testing was done privately with Landstaff Limited, City Medical Napier and Southern Community Laboratories working together.

On Friday they will take a chartered bus directly to Auckland International Airport where they will board a plane back to Samoa.

Uputaua Suluape has worked for Landstaff Limited since the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme came into effect in April 2007.

He is thankful to be going home, having first arrived in November last year. Like his fellow RSE workers, he was due to leave in March.

Unlike the other RSE workers who have been away from their families for months now, his Chilean wife Andrea Del Carmen Ortiz Gallegos and six-year-old daughter Salome Amalia Saluape Ortiz have been with him on a visitor’s visa since December.

“It’s good for me because my family’s here, but for the other guys, they were ready to go home to see their family. But we all need to go home.”

(L-R) Andrea Del Carmen Ortiz Gallegos, Salome Amalia Saluape Ortiz and Uputaua Suluape

Since work ceased in March, Landstaff Limited has been paying their RSE workers’ accommodation, meaning they only must pay for their food.

“We’re just thank you for the company because they help us a lot.”

Afe Sepa shared similar sentiments, saying he was both “very relieved” and “very happy” to be able to go home and see his family.

Landstaff Limited administrator Amanda O’Callaghan said everyone has been “really supportive of each other” which is great but some of these workers have been away from their wives and children for seven to eight months now and they just want to get home and
spend time at home.

While there have been offers from Civil Defence, she said the Samoan community within Hawke’s Bay is strong, and between them and their family-run business, everyone has been looking out for each other where needed.

They only use RSE workers during the peak season for thinning and picking, and local workers are used for the other months. In the winter months we use local workers.

The Apple and Pear Industry asked them to put forward the names of the RSE works who were meant to have left the country.

Due to the fact their accommodation is not only used for the RSE workers but for their 40 local workers who come to Hawke’s Bay during the winter months, they were listed as a priority.

City Medical Napier’s Clinical Nurse Manager Rowan Plater said, “it went well”. They set aside four hours but managed to get 33 tests done in two hours.

“They have all got their clearance letter so now we just wait for the results of the swabs.”

Having only done a small amount of testing right at the beginning, they were approached by Landstaff to see if they would be able to do the testing within the timeframe.

“We had to liaise with public health to make sure they were happy for us to go ahead because obviously up until that point it had solely been the DHB doing it.”

Rowan Plater, City Medical Napier’s Clinical Nurse Manager

Plater said they spoke to the Samoan Consulate and had to ensure Southern Community Laboratories had the capacity to do it.

“I think it’s important that a service is provided so that they can get home and I think the only way that people can get this done in the timeframe imposed is to go privately.”

The Samoan Government stipulates they must have been examined by a medical officer within three days of flying, that they have been tested for Covid-19 and have no symptoms.

He anticipates the results should come back sometime today (Wednesday).

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