Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A passenger on the Nov. 1st flight from Honolulu has tested positive for COVID-19 and the individual — as required of all those entering American Samoa — is fully vaccinated and is a local resident.

This is according to sources who shared information with Samoa News as Health Department director Motusa Tuileama Nua has not responded to email questions sent Monday this week for confirmation.

There were 262 passengers on the Nov. 1st flight and all remain in quarantine, at Tradewinds Hotel, Sadie’s by the Sea and Fatuoaiga. And the first test of the travelers was carried out last week Thursday for those quarantined at Fatuoaiga and Sadie’s by the Sea — and Friday morning for passengers at Tradewinds.

Information received by Samoa News states that the positive case was one of the travelers quarantined at Fatuoaiga and the individual was immediately transferred to isolation for a 14-day period and will be monitored by medical personnel. Additionally, the individual shows no symptoms of the virus.

Additionally, there were three other travelers who tested positive but are considered “historical cases”  — meaning that they were previously infected — while the rest of the travelers tested negative.

Sources also said that the second round of tests — not including the positive case in isolation — was carried out yesterday and all came back negative.

American Samoa now has five imported positive COVID-19 case, all from passengers who arrived on Hawaiian Airlines flights from Honolulu since commercial flights between Honolulu and Pago Pago were re-opened in September.

The COVID-19 Task Force chairman, Lt. Gov. Talauega Eleasalo Ale has said that it was to be expected that a positive case will surface here once commercial flights are re-opened.

The Department of Health has previously pointed out that since there is no longer a quarantine period in Honolulu, before boarding the flight to Pago — like for the first several flights — it was to be expected that positive cases would be detected during quarantine in Pago — as was the case when cases were detected and stopped from boarding during the quarantine period in Honolulu.