Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — During Monday’s virtual news conference, Attorney General Fainu’ulelei Falefatu Alailima-Utu re-emphasized the governor’s mandate of booster shots for certain first responders — essential workers who are eligible and not exempted.

The governor’s latest COVID-19 Emergency Declaration, effective Mar. 14 — mandates that first responders provide proof of booster vaccine by Apr. 13 to the Human Resources director for the Executive Branch or they shall be placed on leave in accordance with other provisions of the declaration, which have been in place since last December.

The declaration calls on LBJ Medical Center to “immediately adopt a policy mandating that all eligible employees” at the hospital receive the booster shot no later than Apr. 13 — unless they have been granted an exception due to disability, pursuant to the federal Americans with Disability Act, or a valid medical reason or because of a sincerely held religious belief, practice or observance.

At the news conference, Fainu’ulelei reiterated that booster shots will be mandated for Health Department health care workers, Public Safety, Fire Bureau, EMS technicians and staff of the Territorial Correctional Facility and the Juvenile Detention Center.

He also re-emphasized the current curfew of 9p.m nightly to 4:30a.m. the next day as outlined in the emergency declaration and the importance of the public to comply with it.

However, members of the community continue to question the effectiveness of the curfew, to prevent the spread of COVID-19, as there are still many people on the road during the curfew hours.

A “Q&A Summary” document released by the Governor’s Office earlier this week, points out that the night curfew prevents and reduces COVID-19 transmission at night time social activities outside the home and it is less disruptive than a daytime curfew. And the curfew is enforced by police.

 “Any individual charged for violating the curfew is fined up to one thousand dollars,” it says.