Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Four travelers on Hawaiian Airlines flight last week Thursday from Honolulu tested COVID-19 positive and were immediately placed in supervised isolation at the Health Department’s facility in Tafuna, according to the DoH’s COVID-19 Situational Report as of May 12.

The report, presented to the COVID-19 Task Force on May 13 briefing, also states that seven escorts and close contacts of the four imported-cases on the flight are also isolated with the four passengers. A total of 11 individuals are in supervised isolation at a DoH facility for 5-days.

The rest of the 241 passengers on last Thursday’s flights that tested negative were directed to home “self monitoring”, with daily check-ins on ASG’s TalofaPass websystem for five-days,” according to the DoH report.

All those with symptoms will receive a call from the DoH EpiNet team for further assessment and further instructions. And a second test is not required, the report says.

DoH announced at last week’s task force virtual news conference, of the new protocol for Hawaiian Airlines travelers — effective May 12 — that travelers who test positive will be isolated for 10-days, with 5 days at a DoH supervised facility and the other 5 days in home isolation.

Those who test negative, will no longer require quarantine but will be instructed to go directly home, “for self monitoring” and daily check in for 5 days on ASG’s TalofaPass websystem. Those who develop symptoms within the 5-days will need to inform DoH by calling 219 and coming in for testing at DoH clinics.

The DoH Situational Report also provided a brief update on the 180 passengers who arrived on the May 5 flight from Honolulu. So far only one passenger tested positive and this was upon arrival and that passenger was placed in supervised isolation, while the 179, who tested negative, went home for self-monitoring.

As of May 12, the report shows that 153 passengers were tested over a three-day period and all results came back negative. DoH says all testing negative and asymptomatic would be cleared on May 13.

There was no new update at press time whether or not all 179 passengers have been cleared from home quarantine.

VIRUS COUNT UPDATE

DoH also reports that 14 new community spread cases of COVID-19 were recorded as of May 12 from the DoH clinics and LBJ Medical Center test sites, bringing the territory’s total cumulative positive cases to 5,957 since the outbreak was first recorded on Feb. 22 on Tutuila island. Of the 14-new positives, six individuals received therapeutic treatment.

Also in the report, is that LBJ hospital reports no new deaths, as of May 12, keeping American Samoa’s total fatalities at 30 individuals who have passed away due to COVID-19.

For the Manu’a island group, no new positive cases were reported as of May 12, while tests and vaccinations continued at DoH clinics on Ta’u and Ofu islands. Additionally, the cumulative total count on Manu’a Islands since the outbreak in the island group is 47 positives all on Ta’u island (31 at Faleasao village and 16 at Ta’u village), while Ofu and Olosega islands remain COVID free.

As of May 12, there were 146 active cases in American Samoa monitored by DoH. Of that total, 32 cases are on Ta’u island — with 17 at Faleasao village and 15 at Ta’u village, according to the DoH report.

This Health Department chart shows the active COVID-19 cases and the number in each village as of May 12.