SUVA, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Samoan government confirmed two more deaths on Thursday in the island nation's measles epidemic, bringing the death toll to 62 since the measles outbreaks started in mid-October.
According to a government statement on Thursday, the Samoan Ministry of Health said that a total of 4,217 measles cases have been recorded by the Disease Surveillance Team so far, with 165 cases reported in the last 24 hours.
A total of 172 people are now hospitalized with measles in the island nation.
Samoa is now in a state of emergency, with all schools closed and public gatherings restricted.
On Thursday and Friday, most of the public service and all government services will be closed in order to allow all public servants to assist with the ongoing mass vaccination campaign.
A curfew is reportedly in place. Households who need the vaccine have been told to leave a red flag or cloth outside their homes.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that is transmitted via droplets from the nose, mouth or throat of infected persons. Death may occur in up to 5-10 percent of infected young children in developing countries.
In Samoa, most of the deaths were children aged under 4.
