Positive COVID cases entering territory by air or sea remain minimal

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Of the more than 900 travelers who tested upon arrival at Pago Pago International Airports on board flights from Honolulu and Apia for the week of Aug. 08 to Aug. 14, a total of 15 travelers tested positive, and were placed in ASG supervised isolation in accordance with local protocol, according to data provided in the Health Department’s Airport Operations report presented at Tuesday afternoon’s COVID-19 Task Force briefing.

For the period of Aug. 08 to Aug. 14: DoH data in its report shows that Talofa Airways operated 25 flights from Apia with 183 passengers tested, and one-traveler testing positive. For Samoa Airways, the Samoa government owned airline brought in 274 travelers on 21 flights, and a total of nine passengers tested positive.

Hawaiian Airlines flights from Honolulu on Aug. 08 and Aug. 11 shows 492 travelers were tested upon arrival at Pago Pago and five individuals tested positive, according to the DoH report, which also provided a brief summary of Monday’s flight - Aug. 15.

The report states DoH received the airline’s passenger manifest on Aug. 15 and showed 285 travelers, while the number of passengers registered on the ASG’s TALOFAPASS websystem showed 311 travelers. It also says that all 285 travelers were tested upon arrival and none of the results came back positive.

Under current protocol, travelers who test positive are isolated at a DoH facility for 5 days and released to home isolation for another 5-days. Those who test negative are released to go home and only required to check in to ASG’s TALOFAPASS web-system 5-days after arrival.

In its report, DoH cites a concern with Talofa Airways, since the privately-owned Apia-based carrier is “allowing travelers onboard without required registration/vaccination” for flights from Apia. No additional information is available at press time, as to whether ASG or the task force is taking any corrective action.

It should be noted that all travelers into American Samoa are required to register on TALOFAPASS and be fully COVID-19 vaccinated for those who are five-years and older.

DoH also offered a recommendation pertaining to TALOFAPASS, suggesting the “Immediate implementation of 24 hour suspension of registration before boarding to minimize the last minute rush, miscommunication, finger pointing, distrust, and frustration.”

An ASG official, familiar with this issue, told Samoa News that there have been problems with these last minute registrations on TALOFAPASS — 24 hours prior to departure — that are causing a lot of problems resulting in the TALOFAPASS registering more people than the number of travelers on the airline passenger manifest.

“This is especially problematic for flights from Honolulu,” said the official, who only responded to Samoa News questions, under condition of anonymity.

SEAPORT OPERATIONS

DoH also reported on its seaport monitoring operations for the week of Aug. 08 to Aug. 14. And it states that three yachts entered the Port of Pago Pago with the total number of travelers onboard at 8 and none of them tested positive.

For commercial vessels that entered the Port, the DoH report shows a total of 10 and 152 crew members were tested and two of them came back positive. In accordance with local protocol, crew members are isolated on board the vessels and monitored by DoH. 

Of the 10 vessels, one was an oil-tanker, two cargo ships and seven longliner fishing vessels.

As to the MV Lady Naomi, there was no sail last week Thursday but the passenger/cargo ferry arrives today from Apia in accordance with the current schedule. And the DoH recommends increasing from 60 to 80 the number of passengers on each sail from and to Samoa.