Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — As of yesterday morning, four patients — one fully vaccinated and three not vaccinated — are  hospitalized at the LBJ Medical Center COVID-19 Ward after testing positive and following a hospital assessment which determined they should be admitted.

This is according to LBJ acting chief of staff, Dr. Akapusi Ledua during a Zoom news conference yesterday morning, where Health Department officials announced that the total cumulative COVID-19 positive cases for the territory has reached 243.

Dr. Ledua, who gave a presentation on LBJ’s response to the COVID-19 community outbreak, said that four patients are in the COVID ward and “these are the first patients admitted for COVID related illnesses.”

He explained that the first patient was admitted last Friday afternoon and is a 37-year old female who is fully vaccinated.

By Friday evening, an 82-year old man, who is not vaccinated and presented with COVID symptoms, was admitted. The third patient is a 102-year old male, who arrived in the early hours of Saturday morning and is not vaccinated. And the 4th patient — a 63-year old unvaccinated female — was admitted late Saturday morning.

All four patients had COVID-19 symptoms and were admitted after meeting all criteria for hospitalization.

Dr. Ledua reported during the news conference led by the chair of the COVID-19 Task Force Lt. Gov. Talauega Eleasalo Ale that the “four patients are doing well, they are fine, receiving oxygen intermittently if need be, but otherwise they are well and stable.”

“We are looking forward to discharging them from the COVID-19 Ward, to move them to the general ward, in an isolation room for a few days,” he said. “And if they are tested negative, will be discharged home where there’s follow-up by the Health Department.”

He also said that before these four patients, two women who were in labor were admitted to the COVID ward for non-COVID related medical issues — the women were in labor — and were admitted to the COVID ward because they tested positive. However, both were discharged with follow-up by DoH and “are in good health,” he said and pointed out that there are no COVID-19 related deaths to report.

Monday night at 9:30 p.m. the Dept. of Health released the following information on COVID data:

On March 07, 2022, a total of 657 COVID tests were conducted of which 49 individuals tested positive. The cumulative total of community transmitted cases of COVID now stands at 291.

There were no new hospitalizations reported that are related to COVID-19. Those who tested positive were served with a Home Isolation Directive. Anyone with COVID-19 must stay away from other people — this may include others in their home.

If you know someone who tested positive, let them know that you care by sending text messages, video messages, or groceries their way.

About 80.7 % of the total population is fully vaccinated. On Saturday, March 5, about 1569 doses were administered at the COVID-19 Vaccination Drive-Thru Clinic.

VILLAGE COUNT