Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Two more travelers on the Jan. 27 flight from Honolulu tested COVID-19 positive with new infections at the Tradewinds Hotel quarantine site. And that resulted in pushing forward to today, Monday, the release of passengers at that quarantine site, according to ASG officials late Friday, saying that the extended days prompted more social media criticism against the Health Department.

And it was late Friday afternoon, that the Governor’s Office released the first-amendment to Gov. Lemanu Peleti Palepoi Sialega Mauga’s Feb. 4 COVID-19 declaration, giving the Health director the authority to extend quarantine days up to 21-days.

NEW INFECTIONS

Travelers on the Jan 27 flight were scheduled for another round of testing last Thursday, with the initial ASG plan to release those who tested negative on Feb. 11.

However, two travelers at the Tradewinds Hotel tested positive with new infections and were immediately transferred to isolation, while travelers who tested negative were told quarantine was extended to today, Feb. 14, after another test that was scheduled for yesterday. 

Travelers who tested negative at Tradewinds Hotel once again took to social media their frustration and criticism of having to remain in quarantine. Two travelers in quarantine said the announcement of extended quarantine days was made during a Zoom session with DoH officials — as was the case with the previous testing results.

For travelers at the DoH Alternate Care Facility and Fatuoaiga quarantine sites, they all tested negative when the results came out last Thursday and were released to waiting family members — instead of being released last Friday, as initially announced by the COVID-19 Task Force and DoH officials.

As of this past Saturday morning, the total number of infections relating to the Jan. 27 flight stands at 43 — including 35 travelers and 8 quarantine staff.

DECLARATION AMENDMENT

The first amendment to the Governor’s Feb. 4 COVID-19 declaration, gives the Health director the authority to quarantine a person for up to “twenty-one” days without notice if that person was or may have been exposed to COVID-19.

And quarantine for more than “twenty-one” days must be authorized by the High Court, according to the declaration.

The initial quarantine period without notice was up to 15-days, with quarantine periods more than 15-days only authorized by the High Court.

According to the Governor’s Office, the amendment is a result of the recent cluster of new cases currently in quarantine from the Jan. 27 flight from Honolulu.