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Amata provides American Samoa with same coronavirus prevention guidance she and other House, Senate and staff members are receiving

Congresswoman Aumua Amata
This echos the CDC guidelines
Source: Office of the Congresswoman

Washington, D.C. — Friday, Congresswoman Aumua Amata passed along the health recommendations that her office received February 28th from the Office of the Attending Physician in the U.S. House of Representatives, which echo the CDC.

“I wanted everyone to see that you are receiving the same advice and information that U.S. Senators, Members of Congress, and the several thousand staff members on Capitol Hill are receiving,” said Aumua Amata. “We know that some of the world’s experts in the field are working on a vaccine. The fact is that most of what we can do individually is stay calm, continue to trust in God, and take these common sense precautions that doctors and scientists have recommended. This guidance is the same in American Samoa, Washington, DC, or anywhere we go.”

The memo to House offices from the Attending Physician is entitled Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance for House Offices.

This guidance focused on the following Practical Prevention Techniques:

  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipes.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol.
  • Vaccinations – Stay up to date on vaccinations, including the influenza “flu” vaccine.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Maintain at least six feet of distance from anyone exhibiting obvious symptoms.
  • Stay home when you are sick.

Secondly, the official guidance made recommendations regarding when to use facemasks:

  • CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19.
  • Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others. As a practical matter, if you are showing symptoms of COVID-19, you should not be reporting to work and should seek appropriate medical attention.

Finally, if you’d like more information, find it at http://attendingphysician.house.gov/ or at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/prevention-treatment.html. The CDC does also have specific guidance for international travel: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/warning/novel-coronavirus-china.