COVID-19 Task Force ending its weekly televised updates

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Local Education Department (ASDOE) summer programs and changes in LBJ Medical Center’s policy on caregivers for inpatients at the hospital were some of the issues discussed with the media, during Tuesday’s COVID-19 Task Force news conference, which Lt. Gov. Talauega Eleasalo Ale says is the last one, as ASG will allocate resources to other government needs while the task force will issue weekly press releases.

ASDOE SUMMER PROGRAMS

ASDOE deputy director Dr. Roxanne Salave’a shared during the news conference, the department’s various programs during the summer, including one to assist high school students earn any classroom credits not earned during the COVID-19 restrictions, imposed on Feb. 22 after the first case of community spread of the deadly virus was confirmed on Tutuila.

Among the summer programs, according to the schedule, the “Summer School for Credit” for 9th to 12th grades, is set for June 27 to Aug. 5 at Samoana High School.

The schedule also shows the Special Education Extended School Year program set for IEP students from June 27 to July 29 at selected sites as well as the “21st Century Employability and Life Skills Development for 10th and 11th graders - from June 20 to July 29 at Tafuna High School.

The ASDOE presentation also showed that teachers return to work on Aug. 29 for the new School Year 2022-2023 while classes officially start on Sept. 6 — which is the Tuesday after the Sept. 5 Labor Day holiday.

LBJ CAREGIVER POLICY

With more restriction eased under the current COVID-19 Emergency Declaration, LBJ Medical Center has changed rules for caregivers, who are family members, for patients admitted to the hospital.

The hospital had imposed restrictions for caregivers over the past months with the caregiver remaining within the ward once the patient was admitted and the caregiver was not allowed to leave until the patient was released.

However, the hospital has changed the rules, with the easing of COVID restrictions. During the news conference, LBJ’s acting chief of staff, Dr Abraham Leiato explained that caregivers can now leave the wards after 3 days and return if warranted. He pointed out that discretion was given to doctors and nurses tending to a patient to decide if the period before a caregiver can leave was shortened.

And the hospital will continue to monitor the current COVID-19 community spread before taking another look at the policy, he said.

LAST NEWS CONFERENCE

Talauega, who is also the Governor’s Authorized Representative (GAR), announced that Tuesday was the last weekly task force news conference — which have been streamed live on KVZK-TV social media platforms, giving the local community and those off-island the chance to hear the government’s update on the COVID-19 community spread.

“We believe, with the advice of the medical community, we’ve reached a good point to shift some of the resources to cover other areas of government needs,” said Talauega, who is also the task force chairman. 

He said the task force will continue to hold weekly meetings — on Tuesdays — but will instead provide media releases, which will include updates from the Health Department, LBJ hospital and other areas of government — “updating our community and the media of happenings with respect to our response to COVID-19.”

The Task force’s virtual weekly news conferences were launched after the first local community spread case was recorded on Tutuila, on Feb. 21, with the task force originally holding daily briefings, giving the public a chance to get the information directly from the government.