As many countries wean themselves off two years’ worth of pandemic protocols, having endured multiple waves of COVID-19 variants, the South Pacific nation of Samoa has entered lockdown as it faces its first outbreak of COVID-19.

Samoa has reported scores of new COVID-19 cases each day since detecting its first case of community transmission last week and the nation of 200,000 people has been in lockdown since Saturday.

The outbreak was discovered when a woman who was about to travel tested positive for the virus last Thursday, indicating the virus likely had been spreading undetected for days or even weeks.

Samoa reported another 95 new cases in 24 hours to Saturday and another 85 on Sunday.

Only 15 of the 196 active cases were imported from overseas, according to the latest government statement available Monday. More than 2,200 tests have been done since Friday, the statement said.

A government report leaked online indicated the woman had visited church services, a hospital, stores, a library, and a travel agency since first feeling ill on March 12.

Samoa and several neighbouring Pacific island nations were among the last places on earth to avoid virus outbreaks. But the more transmissible omicron variant has changed the equation, and one by one the island nations have been succumbing to COVID-19.

Since the start of the year, Kiribati, Tonga, the Solomon Islands, the Cook Islands and American Samoa have all experienced their first big outbreaks.

John Fala, who runs a logistics company in Samoa, said it was inevitable that Samoa would eventually get the virus, a reality brought home for many when COVID-19 began spreading in nearby American Samoa.

“We’ve had two years to prepare,” Fala said. “Now it’s finally here. Of course, there is going to be a bit of scrambling.”

From midnight Saturday, all schools were closed, public gatherings banned, and all stores and other services shut down, except those considered essential. From midnight Friday, people were required to wear masks and use vaccination cards.

There were reports Friday of panic-buying ahead of the lockdown.

Fala, who is vaccinated, said his company is considered an essential service and he’s frantically trying to navigate the new rules to keep it operating.

The lockdown was initially scheduled to last through midnight today (Tuesday) although it was expected to be extended.

The father of three young children, Fala said his biggest concern is that unvaccinated children will catch the virus. He said the nation of 200,000 had good rates of inoculation among adults, but had only just begun vaccinating children aged five to 11 in the past week or so.

About 65% of all Samoans have had at least two doses of a coronavirus vaccine, according to Our World in Data.

Samoa’s Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa told people about the positive case in a special announcement to the nation late Thursday. She said the infected woman was in isolation and that her movements and contacts with people were being traced.

Mata’afa said officials wanted to do all they could to contain it from spreading rapidly.

“Although our country continues to traverse through these difficult times, let us continue to trust in the Lord,” Mata’afa said in her announcement.

Samoa has had previous virus scares and lockdowns after returning plane passengers tested positive while isolating but had managed to avoid any community outbreaks until now.

Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Nauru are among the few remaining Pacific island nations to have avoided omicron outbreaks.