Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — At Sunday’s government coronavirus task force meeting, Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga revealed that at least two more repatriation flights to return to American Samoa local residents stranded in Samoa will be needed, but no information as to when such flights will operate.

There has also been no public information from the task force or the governor as to how many travelers need to return to the territory. When asked for information, an ASG official told Samoa News yesterday that there are several residents still in Apia and the local Attorney General’s Office has already issued these individuals OK Board to enter the territory, but the total number of travelers are unknown.

The governor had initially set that the last repatriation flight from Samoa was early last month, followed by special fights — between Aug. 1st to 17th — to bring in, skilled workers from Samoa under the special skilled workers provision and then the borders between the two Samoas would close again.

Health Department data shared during Sunday’s task force meeting shows that total number of passengers arrivals on flights from Samoa between June 17th and Aug. 19th is 294 and total outbound passengers at 221.

Neither the task force nor the governor has released any data as to the total number of travelers brought in under the skilled workers provision and the type of skilled workers who travelled here. The ASG official, who spoke with Samoa News yesterday, believes the majority of them were for the construction industry — although there were also medical professionals.

At Sunday’s task force meeting, the governor publicly thanked Samoa Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi for the enforcement of closing its borders, and especially now with the resurgence of cases out of New Zealand.

With Samoa without a virus case, Lolo observed that maybe routing local residents stranded elsewhere, through Samoa is an option.

According to the governor, American samoa is nearly complete with repatriation of local residents from Samoa and is looking at at least at two more flights, and thereafter closing the borders again.

However, he says there will always be issues that would require help from either of the two Samoas so that flights can re-open for a temporary period of time.  And such emergency situation, if arises, will be discussed between the two leaders of the two Samoas.

Provision of the governor’s new Eighth Amended COVID-19 emergency declaration states that inter-Samoa flights remain suspended but will be continually reviewed, depending on the COVID-19 status in both countries.

“If emergency needs arise which will require special flights to American Samoa, this option will be considered by the Governor and Lieutenant Governor,” according to the new amended declaration, which is effective from Sept. 1st to 30th.

(Samoa News notes, repatriation flights returning American Samoa residents stranded in the U.S to the territory are also contingent on the flights from Samoa being completed, according to discussions during the coronavirus task force meeting on Sunday. )