ASG working to return local residents stranded in Samoa
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — At yesterday morning’s news conference, Lt. Gov. Talauega Eleasalo V. Ale announced that American Samoa is waiting for approval from the government of Samoa to repatriate local residents who are stuck in the independent state.
Inter Samoa flights have been suspended since late January after several passengers tested positive upon arrival in Apia on a flight from Australia. Since then both sides have been working on resumption of flights once Samoa’s lock-down was lifted.
However, American Samoa now faces its own reality of COVID-19 community spread closing all flights and elevating the alert level to Code Red for another week.
Speaking at the start of the news conference, Talauega — who is also the Governor’s Authorized Representative (GAR) — shared what he described as “good news” that “we will allow the Apia flights, provided that we get approval” from the Samoa government.
“We will have flights to repatriate our residents who are currently in Apia,” he said adding that it’s estimated that close to 70 local residents are currently in Samoa and want to return home.
The plan is to “bring them home as soon as possible,” as early as Wednesday this week, and once that’s completed inter Samoa flights will be closed, he said.
“Since there’s no community spread in Apia” American Samoa residents returning home will be required to register on the TalofaPass websystem but do not require COVID-testing in Apia.
“Testing will be done when they arrive in American Samoa,” he said, adding that the task force, along with the Attorney General and the Health Department are working with authorities in Samoa for possible flights this week to bring local residents home, as they have been away from their families for too long.
He also addressed the next commercial flight from Honolulu on Mar. 10 saying that this flight will proceed as planned.
“Details on how we receive that flight will be forthcoming. But for the moment, recommendation of our medical community have agreed to allow this flight to proceed as planned,” he said, and reiterated that Code Red continues for another week.