Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — During Monday’s virtual news conference, Lt. Gov. Talauega Eleasalo Ale, who is also the Governor’s Authorized Representative (GAR), provided an explanation for the reason behind the change in the Governor’s latest COVID-19 Emergency Declaration, effective yesterday, in which the government is shifting strategy — from a “COVID Zero strategy to COVID Safe strategy”.

The new emergency declaration removes the three-tier color-coded threat levels implement by the Lolo Administration in February 2020, during the early stages of pandemic, as COVID-19 spread around the world.

Talauega explained aspects of the new declaration, saying that COVID Zero is the “old strategy that we have executed successfully” in the last two years and “we now know that COVID is here and it is surging in our community, and we must adjust and pivot to address the unique needs of the community as a result of community spread.”

“We need to move away from mass and indiscriminate lockdown policies and focus on adopting realistic and targeted policies to ensure that our people are able to live their lives safely while ensuring that life-saving services are accessible to our public,” he further explained.

This shift, he said, also acknowledges the current surge in the community spread of COVID-19 and it will eventually slow down and end. “It’s just a matter of when,” he said. “If we are good at getting vaccinated, masking and social distancing, it is very likely that we will reach the end of this spread and this surge quickly.”

Another aspect of the new declaration is shifting “towards more self responsibility,” he said, noting that, under COVID Safe strategy, the “people of American Samoa must take on more responsibility for securing your well-being and the safety of your family, employees and community.”

While government will still play a role in directing local efforts, he said, it’s the “people... that must take ownership of this cause. You have to take responsibility for your actions.”

Those actions include being responsible for your own health and safety, i.e. if you are feeling symptoms of COVID, go to DoH clinics or call the DoH Command Post 2019 and get tested and treated if necessary. And if you have not been vaccinated or boosted, then get vaccinated.

“If you are tested positive, please isolate yourself, don’t go to work until you are cleared,” by DoH, he urged the public.

To business owners, “you have a responsibility to ensure the safety of your employees and your customers,” he said and urged employers to make sure employees are vaccinated, tested and treated “and allow your employees to stay home if they test positive.” Also make sure everyone is wearing a mask and social distancing is observed.

On behalf of the governor and territorial leaders, “I call on all of our community leaders — church leaders, village leaders and cultural leaders — to please help us to reinforce this message to our people.”

According to the lieutenant governor, “another major goal of our COVID Safe Strategy reflected in the new declaration, “is the goal of reducing the number of fatalities. We want to reduce the number of fatalities to the most minimal cause from COVID.”

He said that epidemiologists with the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) have “advised that the high-risk populations for fatalities include our elderly, the immune-compromised, and [those with] co-morbidities.”

(Co-morbidities means more than one disease or condition is present in the same person at the same time, according to the CDC.)

Talauega recalled part of the governor’s address on Sunday — “death is a call made by God and God alone, and we don’t know when or how it will come. All that we can do is prepare.”

He said that one of the goals of “COVID Safe” is to push and continue to push vaccination and boosting for the high-risk population. And also to open and to welcome anyone who is feeling ill, to come in, get tested and get treated.

“At the end of the day, please know that your government — with the great assistance from our federal partners — will continue to do everything that we can to protect our people from possible deaths related to COVID, as has been seen all over the world,” he said.

“We ask and pray, you do your part and join us in this effort by getting vaccinated, boosted, masking and practicing social distancing, and adhering to the health policies as provided by our medical and health professionals,” he said.

Attorney General Fainu’ulelei Falefatu Alailima-Utu went through provisions of the new declaration, which includes extending business hours of operation, which are now 5a.m. to 8p.m. (See yesterday’s Samoa News online for details including copy of the new declaration.)

In a media question for Talauega, it was asked if the government is considering any assistance for workers of non-essential businesses that remain closed under the emergency declaration.

Talauega responded that the “new declaration removes the distinction of essential and non-essential workers, except for those businesses that we are asking to hold off until reopening at an appropriate time.”

“And even those we ask not to open, we are giving them the opportunity to approach the task force, provide us with a plan that will allow them to operate and be able to provide for their employees and their families,” he said.

(Requests for exceptions should be made by submitting a site safety plan to the Emergency Operations Center email — eoc.opschief@asdhs.as.gov — or call 699-3800 extension 116.)

As for government assistance, Talauega pointed to the more than $1 million in tax refund checks released last Friday, the $200 value of school lunch food vouchers and distribution of the Food Stamp Program — also done last week.