Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Four passengers onboard Hawaiian Airlines flight from Honolulu last week Thursday night tested COVID-19 positive and were placed in isolation, in accordance with local protocol.

Responding to Samoa News inquiries, Health Department Clinical Services director Dr. Elizabeth Lauvao said a total of 240 passengers — including 4 lapped children — traveled on last Thursday’s flight and four adults on the flight tested positive, while 236 tested negative

The positive cases were transferred to supervised DoH isolation, said Dr. Lauvao last Friday afternoon.

Under current protocol, travelers who test positive are isolated at a DoH facility for 5 days and released to home isolation for another 5-days. Those who test negative are released to go home and only required to check in to ASG’s TalofaPass websystem 5-days after arrival.

Provisions of the new COVID-19 Emergency Declaration, which is effective today, June 27, states that any person who tests positive must register or be registered on TalofaPass “to ensure that required services may be provided to the patient, for contact tracing, and for daily reporting that the individual is abiding by all quarantine and isolation protocols and requirements.”

In addition to the status of positive cases on the flight, Samoa News also inquired if there were any service animals also referred to as emotional support animals on last Thursday’s flight and if the animals had proper documentation for entry into the territory.

Dr. Lauvao responded that there were three emotional support dogs with all the proper documents for entry to the territory.

Meanwhile, the DoH Situational Report for COVID-19 covering the week of June 13 to 19 shows that 57 travelers on the June 20 flight from Honolulu all tested COVID negative.

Additionally, there were 3 service animals on that flight that were not registered on TalofaPass websystem — as required — and did not have proper documents. Therefore the service animals went into quarantine at the Veterinarian Clinic until the proper documents are submitted, the DoH report said.

ASG officially adopted in July last year, through the administrative process, rules allowing the import of Service Animals (SA) and Emotional Support Animals (ESA) into American Samoa via Hawai’i.

The “ASG DOH Animal Services” Facebook page provides a long summary of requirements that must be met for service animals — and pets — before boarding a flight to the territory either in cargo, or in the cabin.

Also check on www.americansamoa.gov and click on notices to view the online link to the Emergency Rule 002-2021.