More COVID cases diagnosed as testing and vaxing numbers soar

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — In an advisory issued late last night, the Health Department announced that on Wednesday, Feb. 23, eleven cases of COVID-19 were identified at the Tafuna Health Center and LBJ Medical Center.

Nine of the 11 cases were fully vaccinated, according to the advisory, which also says that DoH is continuing to monitor these cases.

Furthermore, 412 people were tested and approximately 931 COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered at the 3 sites.

No details on the 11 positive cases were provided in the health advisory, but the Lt. Gov. Talauega Eleasalo V. Ale — the Governor’s Authorized Representative (GAR) and Chairman of the COVID-19 Task Force — is calling a news conference today, Thursday, where more details are expected to be announced.

Information received by Samoa News last night states that the 11 new cases sets the total numbers so far at 21 positives since early this week, including the DoH employee who was tested positive on Monday and the employees’ 7 family members. And there were two other DoH employees who tested positive also early this week.

ASG officials say the cases testing positive on Wednesday include a Senate employee, and three members of the employees’ family. And these individuals all attended the same church as the DoH employee and that DoH employee’s family members who tested positive on Monday.

With the Senate employee testing positive, ASG officials advised that the Senate President has requested all senators and other Senate staff to get tested. All senators and Senate staff have been vaccinated since early last year.

Samoa News will provide an update in tomorrow’s edition on what is said at today’s planned news conference.

In the health advisory DoH states that, if “you have been in contact with someone who tested positive OR if you are experiencing any of the symptoms such as fever, cough, difficulty breathing, fatigue, the new loss of taste or smell you can go to any one of the testing centers to get tested.”

The testing centers are the DoH health centers in Tafuna, Amouli, and Leone. If you are fully vaccinated, you should feel better over the next 3-5 days. The testing sites will be open from Wednesday to Friday from 8 am - 2 pm.

DoH notes that COVID-19 tests are in limited supply.  However, if your symptoms continue, please call 219 or (684) 633-5871 to speak to a doctor. Because treatment options on the island are limited, a DOH doctor will assess the need for therapeutic treatment.

DoH said that the “Protect As One” vaccination campaign has resulted in 39,712 people getting fully vaccinated; this is about 80% of the total population.

“While the vaccination coverage is high, there is still much work to do,” said DoH. “Raising the COVID-19 Threat Level to Code Red allows the American Samoa Government to assess the current spread of COVID-19 in the community.”

“We respectfully ask the community to take proper precautions and plan accordingly,” the advisory says.

For details of vaccination sites and other updates, call DoH at 219 or check the DoH Facebook page.