Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Lt. Gov. Talauega Eleasalo Ale confirmed during Monday’s COVID-19 Task Force virtual news conference the possibility of further easing local restrictions when Gov. Lemanu Peleti Mauga’s new virus emergency declaration is issued this weekend.

ASG officials present at the task force briefings last week told Samoa News that there was discussion of easing restrictions for businesses — including dine-in services for restaurants allowing for alcohol service that is currently prohibited to businesses that hold licenses to serve alcohol.

And some restaurant owners and operators — as well as customers — have complained of not being allowed alcohol service despite being granted approval to resume dine-in service.

As of Monday this week, about 36 restaurants have been approved by the Emergency Operations Center for dine-in service, which comes with restrictions that abide with the COVID-19 declaration. No indication at press time as to how many — if any — have been approved by EOC to serve alcohol yet.

Talauega, who is also the Governor’s Authorized Representative (GAR), said during Monday’s news conference that the current declaration expires on May 28 and the governor’s new declaration will be issued either this Friday or Saturday.

And he acknowledged that plans to continue “to relax restrictions” under the new proposed declaration” and “return to a more normalize situation in American Samoa,” are in the works, according to an audio recording of the news conference provided to Samoa News by a local media colleague.

He explained that it was raised in the task force meeting to relax restrictions on prohibited businesses — under the current COVID declaration — such as bars, BINGOs and other prohibited activities and businesses. Also raised was potentially modifying or reducing the curfew requirement, which is currently from 9p.m to 4:30a.m. the next day.

 “So that’s what we are focusing on. The medical community is taking that into consideration and we expect a response from them... this week in order to incorporate those in the governor’s new declaration,” said Talauega who is also the task force chairman.

“The goal of the Governor and the task force is to walk a fine line, balance the various interest involved there, the freedom of our people to do things, but also we have to be mindful of the virus that continues to be around and also the potential for another surge to come to American Samoa,” he pointed out.

“Those things will be taken into consideration,” he said, adding that the overall focus of the governor is to “more movement locally, internally” in the territory and still keep in place restrictions comprising movement into the territory from off island.

Many in the community are hoping the government will ease more restrictions for other prohibited businesses such as day care centers and bars/night clubs.