Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — At Monday’s virtual news conference, Health director Motusa Tuileapa Nua said DoH’s plan for vaccinations in Manu’a continues to move forward, but the department “hasn’t had the opportunity to provide testing in Manu’a” where there’s no reported COVID-19 cases.

He also said that every person that travels to Manu’a is required to have a negative test and be fully vaccinated before they travel. Testing is done at the DoH laboratory in Tafuna on the day of the flight.

And DoH will provide a team for Manu’a to train and certify the staff there for testing and therapeutic treatment. DoH staff in Manu’a includes one physician and two LPN nurses for the health centers there.

For travelers from Manu’a, they are also required to test negative before heading to Tutuila.

“So we continue to keep an eye on Manu’a, we continue to test those traveling to Manu’a and those who are coming from Manu’a,” he said.

Lt. Gov. Talauega Eleasalo Ale, in response to advance media questions submitted prior to the news conference, said there is no quarantine in Manu’a for travelers arriving there but everyone traveling to Manu’a must receive a negative test.

He noted that a DoH team is on Ta’u island for vaccinations and DoH will make arrangements to have a team travel to Ofu and Olosega islands.

Ofu resident William Thompson, over this past weekend, wrote to physicians of the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, requesting assistance so that a team from Tutuila can travel to Manu’a to have residents there tested for COVID-19. Thompson’s email message was copied to the local media.

A DoH report presented during the news conference states that total number of doses administration at Manu’a vaccination on week of Mar. 7 for the 2nd shot and booster doses totals 353, with 95 for children five to 11 years old and 258 for individuals 12 years and over.

INTER SAMOA FLIGHTS

For inter-Samoa flights, Talauega said there’s hope to restart service next month. He also said that the MV Lady Naomi is able to travel to American Samoa for cargo only and the vessel is treated just like any other container vessel that enters the Port of Pago Pago, meeting entry requirements and other protocols.

In a notice posted on its Facebook page earlier this week, Samoa Shipping Corporation Ltd., — operator of the Samoa government owned MV Lady Samoa — informed customers that “there will be no Apia- Pago Pago trip this week and at any time soon until further notice.”

It also says that “American Samoa is on lock-down until further notice as their government works to contain the rapid spread of Covid-19 on [Tutuila] island.”

Any further changes, the public will be notified on its Facebook page. A similar notice was also posed on the corporation’s website.

STARKIST N BOOSTER DOSES

One of the advance media questions submitted to Talauega asked why StarKist Samoa workers are required to get a booster shot.

Talauega explained that this is an agreement between DoH and StarKist, which makes its own decision and requirements for the cannery’s workforce.

“And we support the decision on boosters, especially since these employees will be working closely, in enclosed areas,” he said, and pointed out that “it’s been highly recommended” by the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that “we encourage StarKist employees to get booster shots.”

 “StarKist is being monitored weekly by the Department of Health, and they have weekly meetings to make sure the situation is under control,” he said and urged all residents of the territory who are fully vaccinated to also get the booster shot.