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ASG employees taking part in mass vax eligible for paid leave

Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga
fili@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — ASG employees will be allowed to take paid leave — to either get their own COVID-19 shot or accompany their children to the vaccination site, during the government’s mass vaccination drive with the goal of reaching a 90% or more vaccination rate.

In support of the vaccination drive, Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga called for “full support and cooperation of the American Samoa Government in conjunction with community leaders, non-profit organizations, and the local business community to ensure the success of this critical effort to safeguard the health and safety of American Samoa's families and children against this deadly virus,” according to the governor’s Nov. 30th memo to cabinet members.

He directed that all ASG leaders “must support these efforts by making necessary arrangements and approving paid leave to relevant staff members” who: have yet to complete their vaccinations and/or must accompany eligible children to provide consent.

“ASG employees will be required to provide proof — vaccination cards — of completed dose(s) to their immediate supervisors and/or timekeepers to support their paid leave,” he said.

“I encourage leaders of non-profit organizations and local businesses to consider accommodating staff members and employees who may want to participate in the Mass Vaccination Drive to complete their vaccinations or accompany their children,” he pointed out.

In a news release Tuesday afternoon, the COVID-19 Task Force announced that an official memo is forthcoming to all ASG departments, authorities, and offices to allow their staff paid leave during their designated districts for the mass vaccination in order to accompany their children –– or obtain their own vaccinations –– if they have not yet done so.

Furthermore, all ASG employees will be required to provide proof of their vaccinations to their immediate supervisors and/or timekeepers to support their leave. 

The mass vaccination, was the focus of the task force weekly meeting held earlier this week and paid leave granted to ASG employees, who are not yet vaccinated and allowing the same paid leave for employees to take their children to the designated vaccination sites, was also discussed.

The task force had announced last week that ASG employees do not qualify for the $100 cash incentive for the first and second shots during the vaccination drive, which started yesterday and today for the Central district, followed by the West District on Dec. 08 and Dec. 09; and East District for Dec. 15th and Dec. 16th.

Manu’a island group’s vaccination drive is set for Dec. 16th and Dec. 17th.  (See separate story printed elsewhere in today’s edition on more details on the vaccination drive from the task force meeting.)

Further inquiries on the scheduled mass vaccination drive schedule and sites is available by contacting Department of Health “219” hotline.