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One positive detected on Hawaiian flight as COVID reporting lags

Passengers on last week's HAL flight
reporters@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — An ASG official has told Samoa News that only one traveler tested positive from the 200-plus passengers who arrived on the April 14 Hawaiian Air flight and that person was transferred to isolation.

Any traveler who tests positive is directed to an area for medical assessment and then transferred to the ASG Alternate Care Facility in Tafuna by Health Department for isolation of up to 7-days.

All passengers on home quarantine were directed to return yesterday, Apr. 19 or today, Apr. 20 for the second-test at the drive-thru at the Pago Pago International Airport parking lot using a PCR Test (Nasopharyngeal swab).

A DoH notice issued over the weekend states that travelers who continue to test negative will receive an email to register on TalofaPass, and will be released from home-quarantine on Day 8 - Apr. 22.

And travelers who test positive will be informed by a phone call and will be placed in Home Isolation for up to 14-days.

However, travelers who don’t show up for testing will not be released from home quarantine and a directive will be issued for continued home isolation for a total of 14-days, says the DoH notice.

 “Currently there are new COVID variants in the U.S, we must continue to be  vigilant in monitoring these new variants and keep our community safe,” said DoH in a separate notice to travelers last week Friday and it reminded them of the required home-isolation for 7 days.

ONE MORE DEATH RECORDED ON APRIL 14TH

As for community spread, the latest American Samoa COVID-19 Outbreak Situational Report was released Saturday morning, Apr. 16 and states that 1 new COVID-related death was recorded on Apr. 14, which also reported 40 positive new cases, no new hospitalizations, and 203 cases released from home isolation.

The report didn’t provide any other information on the new death — such as age, gender, and whether the deceased was fully vaccinated or not.

However, the report says that total cumulative counts as of Apr. 14, there were 21 COVID related death, 5,602 confirmed community cases, and 2,012 treated with therapeutics. It also says that 4,432 individuals who previously tested positive have now recovered or have completed isolation.

And the Health Department is currently monitoring 1,170 active cases. According to DoH, 83.8% of the eligible total population have been fully vaccinated.

This follows an Apr. 13 report from last Thursday’s COVID-19 Task Force daily briefing that also recorded one new death.

LBJ reported at the briefing that the new fatality was a 64-year old female who received two COVID doses but no booster shot.

Since the end of the 4-day holiday weekend there has been no official word on the positive case from the Apr 14 flight or any current update on the COVID spread from the COVID-19 Task Force.

BACKGROUND

For passengers that test negative, they are directed to a 7-day Home Quarantine and expected to check-in daily on TalofaPASS websystem throughout their quarantine period. “Failure to check-in daily on TalofaPASS or return for mandatory testing may impact your ability to travel in the future,” according to the COVID-19 Task Force notice to travelers.