Update: No more COVID vax mandate for govt workers or students

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Eliminating the mandate of COVID vaccination for ASG workforce and school students is among the significant changes under Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga’s new COVID-19 Emergency Declaration, which is effective Aug. 26 through Sept. 25.

Changes to the new declaration — released by the Governor’s Office late last Thursday afternoon — come as the number of positive cases in the community spread of the coronavirus continues to decline at 2%, as cited in the latest Health Department COVID-19 Situational Report for the week of Aug. 15 to Aug. 21.

“Although our circumstances may have improved, relaxing the restrictions should not cease any safety measures you and your family may have adopted into your lives,” the governor said in a news release about the new declaration, which loosens several COVID-19 restrictions.

“I encourage you all to continue to wear masks and practice social distancing, especially when you have symptoms of the flu, cold, or other airborne-related illnesses — and continue to wash your hands frequently,” he said.

“I also recommend completing your vaccination and booster shots,” he said and thanked “the people of American Samoa for your patience and resilience.”

While many restrictions have been lifted, the new declaration reiterated what it said in the previous ones: “Nothing in this Declaration shall limit the authority of any private business or organization, including any medical or homecare facility from imposing additional restrictions necessary to protect its employees and customers and to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”

And this provision is important to many private businesses, especially stores, that are still asking customers to wear masks upon entry “as a precaution” — with which some customers do comply while others ignore it.

“The sign on the front door asked customers to wear masks, as a precaution, due to the COVID is still around and we just need to remain on the safe side,” said a store clerk on Saturday morning.

GOVERNMENT WORKERS

As a condition of continued employment, all government workers were required in previous COVID-19 declarations to be fully vaccinated, and provide proof. This mandate led to opposition from some in the community including ASG workers, resulting in peaceful protests in the past.

But the new declaration removes all provisions of the vaccination mandate as well as a requirement for frontline workers and health workers to have the two booster shots.

SCHOOLS

The previous declaration required school students — ages 5 and older to be fully vaccinated as well as the school administration. The new declaration removes all of these requirements as in-person classroom instruction is maintained.

And the previous declaration provision of requiring social distancing is no longer a mandate and removed from the new declaration.

“This is great news to see the start of the new school year, with in-person instructions for students. A much better way of student learning than through Zoom classroom sessions,” said a mother, who is an ASG employee and her children attend public schools, which open the new school year on Sept. 06.

This was the same sentiment echoed by a few other parents that Samoa News contact by phone, but there is a hope that parents will keep their children home if a child show signs of illness due to the current flu.

“Lot of hope for a better start of the new school year compared to the final part of the last school year when teaching was online instruction, but there were problems with students not participating on a daily basis,” said a public school teacher, who only responded to the Samoa News brief phone interview on condition of anonymity.

Samoa News notes that all previous requirements pertaining to Daycare Centers are removed from the new declaration.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Vaccination is still a requirement for entry into American Samoa for travelers 5 years and older, but exceptions may be granted for medical conditions or a sincerely held religious beliefs. 

A request for vaccination exemption must be received at least 10-days before travel. To request a form for vaccine exemption, contact the Governor’s Office at — [email protected] - or call (684) 633-4121.

Also there is still a requirement is that all travelers must register on the ASG’s TALOFAPASS websytem, at least 10 days prior to entering the territory and must show proof of full vaccination if they are 5 years old or older.

“Any person traveling from outside of the U.S and Samoa must show proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test via TALOFAPASS within 72 hours prior to travel,” according to the new declaration.

Travelers must submit to COVID testing upon arrival in American Samoa and are subject to being placed in isolation if they test COVID-19 positive. Furthermore, any person entering the territory must wear a mask — in accordance with provision of the Declaration — while on board an aircraft, boat or ship in transit to the territory.

MASK USE

According to the declaration, mask use is required for 10 days for any person who has tested positive for COVID-19, and 5 days for those who have made close contact with a person who tested positive for COVID-19.

Furthermore, wearing a mask “is strongly encouraged” for any person who has a cold, flu or flu-like symptoms, or has a health condition that makes them susceptible to serious ailments from airborne viruses.

OTHER ISSUES

The declaration states that DoH may issue directives to restrict movements of people who test positive for COVID-19, in accordance with provisions of local law. Additionally, price gouging remains prohibited, as the territory continues in a “State of Emergency” in accordance with the COVID declaration.

Furthermore, under subsection “VILLAGES” that: “Nothing in this order affects the authority of village councils to enact regulations imposing curfews or restricting public gatherings” pursuant to local law.

Click on attachment below to download full text of the latest declaration.