Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — This Samoa News photo taken Wednesday afternoon shows one of the buildings, or wings, at the Department of Health compound at Fagaalu vacant, with construction work expected to start soon, to renovate the building to house patients who will be moved from the LBJ Medical Center’s Behavior Health Center, which would then undergo a renovation-conversion for (possible) COVID-19 patients.

At last week Sunday’s COVID-19 Task Force meeting, Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga instructed Public Works director Faleosina Voigt for DPW maintenance crew to start the renovation work to this DoH building early this week. He said this project has been discussed for more than three-weeks and still nothing has been done.

Lolo said local funds can be used to cover cost of the project and then ASG can seek FEMA reimbursement later for related COVID-19 activities.