Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The ASG Coronavirus Task Force expects that by August Hawaiian Airlines will resume its commercial reservations and bookings as was the process pre-COVID. The frequency of commercial Hawaiian Air flights has yet to be determined and is contingent upon the success of several pilot flights to be implemented through the Safe Travels American Samoa (STAS) program, the task force announced in a press release received Thursday morning.

SAFE TRAVELS AMERICAN SAMOA

The STAS program is in the design phase with a Hawaii-based company and will be similar to Hawaii’s Safe Travel program.

STAS will eliminate the pre-travel quarantine requirement in Hawaii and centralize many of the travel and medical requirements and processes into a single web-based platform.

The responsibility will be placed on travelers to register, provide travel/ immigration documents, and proof of COVID-19 test results onto a portal that will provide periodic reminders to successful registrants until their departure dates from Hawaii.

The platform will also integrate contact tracing capabilities that will assist with the home quarantine component of the safe travel program. Details on the program will be made public once details are finalized and ready for launch.

VACCINATION RAFFLE

The first drawing for the COVID vaccination raffle — which will award winners cash prizes totaling $250,000 — will be held this Friday with the winner announced the following week.

Dr. Francine Amoa, who oversees the COVID vaccination effort, says due to private health information, raffle organizers cannot announce winner details until permission is received from the person. That’s why winners will be announced a week after every drawing. The vaccination raffle is an incentive program designed by Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga and Lt. Governor Talauega Ale to encourage eligible residents to get fully vaccinated in order to protect themselves and their families from the COVID-19.

All drawings will be televised and will be held every Friday beginning July 9, 2021 up to August 3rd.

Dr. Amoa explained that individuals who are fully vaccinated do not need to register as their data is already with DOH/LBJ so raffle tickets will be generated for fully vaccinated individuals and put into the drawing.

An individual who gets fully vaccinated by Wednesday will have their name in the drawing for Friday of that week. The raffle will culminate in a family festival “Protect AS One” held on August 14, 2021 at the Veterans Memorial Stadium. More cash and other awards, as well as food booths, games and a fair are part of activities for the big event.

REPATRIATION 7.0

A total of 249 travelers are undergoing 12 days of quarantine at the Ohana Waikiki East Hotel in Hawaii for the Repatriation 7 flight, one of the last two flights for the repatriation program in the month of July. 172 travelers are fully vaccinated, 18 are partially vaccinated and 59 are not eligible for vaccination. In addition to the travelers, there is also a service animal coming on the flight.

The first COVID testing for the travelers was conducted on June 28 and the results were all negative. Their second test was held on July 6, 2021 and the results will be made known once they are ready.

A majority of the 249 travelers are between the ages of 20 to 50, followed by travelers in the 60-80 age group, then those 12 and under. The Repatriation 7 group also includes 4 dialysis patients, 7 church leaders, a senator and cabinet member.

VACCINATION UPDATE

As of July 6, 2021, 54.7% of the territory’s population have now received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine while 48.5% are fully vaccinated. Earlier reports by the Task Force have included percentages for those eligible to get the shot plus the percentage as it compares to the entire population.

To minimize confusion, the Task Force will now focus on reporting only the percentage as it relates to American Samoa’s population based on the 2020 Census data. This is important to determine how territory is faring in reaching herd immunity.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), to safely achieve herd immunity against COVID-19, a substantial proportion of a population would need to be vaccinated, lowering the overall amount of virus able to spread in the whole population. One of the aims of working towards herd immunity is to keep vulnerable groups who cannot get vaccinated safe and protected from the disease.

For American Samoa, the target percentage is 80% or more. To reach that goal, ongoing vaccinations during the week as well as village vaccinations on Saturdays are continuing. The latter outreach continues to increase in numbers.

Last Saturday’s outreach at the Manumalo School Gym and Nu’uuli Voc-Tech High School saw a total of 363 people get vaccinated, the largest number for a Saturday vaccination so far.

The Saturday vaccination outreach this week (July 10th) will be held at the Talalelei EFKAS Hall and DYWA Tafuna.

(Source: ASG Coronavirus Task Force press release)