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Time frame for repatriation flight from HNL set for Jan or Feb 2021

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fili@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The first repatriation flight to bring home some 600 local residents stranded across the United States will be some time in January or February next year, depending on the implementation of the 10-day quarantine protocols in Hawai’i.

This is according to Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga’s coronavirus Eleventh Amended Declaration, which is effective for 34-days from Dec. 1, 2020 to Jan. 3, 2021, as American Samoa — without a confirmed case — continues under the “Code Blue” threat-level.

According to new information in the 11th amended declaration, the governor and the lieutenant governor (who is also the governor-elect) have approved the repatriation plan prepared by the Health Department and LBJ Medical Center facilitating the safe return of our stranded residents and recommended by the COVID-19 Task Force for approval.

This has triggered the “implementation of the required infrastructure to foster its implementation with the first flight date set for January or February depending on the implementation of the Hawaii 10-day quarantine protocols,” the amended declaration states in part.

As previously reported by Samoa News, the governor has given provisional approval to the government’s Repatriation Plan and has agreed to the ASG Coronavirus Task Force’s suggestion of the first repatriation flight on Jan. 19, 2021. (See Samoa News edition Nov. 20th for details.)

For Hawaiian Airlines flights between Honolulu and Pago Pago, they are currently suspended through Dec. 30th.

However, the amended declaration states, “Hawaiian Airlines flights will continue to be suspended for an additional 34 days with reconsideration slated for Jan. 3, 2021.”

The new amended declaration is the final one issued by Lolo as the territory’s chief executive before stepping down prior to 12-noon on Jan. 3, 2021 — when the new administration of governor-elect, Lt. Gov. Lemanu Palepoi Sialega Mauga takes over the helm of government after taking the oath of office.

See tomorrow’s edition for details.