Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The quarantine period for passengers coming on the 3rd repatriation flight on Wednesday, April 15, 2021 will only be 7 days at the Tradewinds Hotel, nearly halving the number of quarantine days in American Samoa. This along with positive news from Hawaiian Airlines and continuous progress in the territory’s vaccination efforts were some of the topics discussed at the meeting of the COVID-19 Task Force held yesterday at the AS Department of Homeland Security Emergency Operations Center (EOC). 

For the reduced quarantine period, Dr. Cecilia Alailima said the medical community has been studying data from the first and second repatriation flights and this has given them evidence to support a recommendation to the Task Force to reduce the quarantine time to only 7 days.  She said travelers will be tested for COVID-19 on day two and day seven of their quarantine. If all is clear, travelers will be discharged on day eight.

A total of 226 travelers are remaining in quarantine at the Ohana Waikiki East Hotel after 12 dropped out due to either testing positive for COVID- 19, close contact with a positive traveler, or voluntarily leaving for personal/ family matters.

This would be the largest group to travel home since the Task Force started its repatriation program in February.

Of the 226 travelers, 84 of them are fully vaccinated while 24 have completed at least one shot. The vaccinated group included 23 travelers who were vaccinated yesterday through the Hawaii’s Department of Health’s Project Vision vaccination outreach; 22 of them received the Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine. There are also four confirmed dialysis patients.

The Task Force continues to encourage COVID- 19 vaccination, not only for travelers coming down but also for our local eligible population as a way to keep American Samoa COVID-19 free.

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES’ ASSISTANCE

The Task Force received good news during the meeting that Hawaiian Airlines will charge one standard cost for a repatriation flight from Hawaii to American Samoa until all ASG-approved repatriation charters are completed.

Hawaiian Airlines’ cost per flight for the past two repatriation flights have been varied based on the number of passengers per flight.

Yesterday, General Manager — Airport Operations Tuli Fruean, who is a member of the Task Force, said that at a recent meeting of their company, Hawaiian Airlines CEO Peter Ingram and Senior Vice President (Network Planning & Revenue Management) Brent Overbeek have agreed to keep the cost of repatriation flights the same for all remaining repatriation flights for American Samoa. The cost will be $315,000 per flight, no matter the passenger count and cargo load.

Fruean said the company agreed to keep the cost the same to help with efforts by American Samoa to bring home its people.

On behalf of Governor Lemanu P.S. Mauga and the COVID Task Force, Lieutenant Governor Talauega E.V. Ale expressed appreciation to Fruean and Hawaiian Airlines for this “significant assistance”. He said in due time, there will be proper correspondence delivered to Hawaiian Airlines about their generosity. But for now, he thanked Fruean and Hawaiian Airlines “for helping us out because we are in dire need of this assistance.”

REPATRIATION COST PAYMENT

The Director of the American Samoa Medicaid Office Sandra King Young reported that progress has been made with travelers paying for their cost share on the 3rd repatriation flight.

One-hundred-thirty-five passengers have paid for their flight coming home. She said 60% of the past paying travelers for the past two repatriation flights were outbound passengers. The director adds that with more outreach done by the Task Force, more and more travelers are aware of their responsibilities and will pay for their cost-shares.

Payments for approved travelers or repatriated travelers from previous flights can be done locally by visiting the Medicaid Office at the 2nd floor of the ASTCA building in Tafuna or via PayPal online at "https://www.americansamoa.gov/". For more information about these payment forms, please contact the Medicaid Office at 699-4777.

VACCINATION UPDATE

A total of 48.1% or 15,986 people eligible to get a COVID- 19 vaccination in American Samoa are now fully vaccinated.  According to the US Census Bureau data, the territory’s eligible population is 33,206. Of this number, DOH data shows that the majority of them – 58% – have received at least one shot.

Well over 60% of the older age groups – those ages 41-50; 51-60; and 61 and older – are now fully vaccinated. The percentages for those fully vaccinated in other age groups are: 46.9% for the 31-40 year olds; 30.4% of the 16-20 year olds; and 28.2% of the 21-30 age group.

DOH Director Motusa Tuileama Nua said in addition to their vaccination sites at the Gov. H. Rex Lee Auditorium and the Executive Office Building (EOB) in Utulei, they will begin going out to the villages and churches to do community vaccinations.

To get the latest vaccination schedule, please dial 219.

[Editor’s Note: The latest news out of Hawaii is that all passengers of Repat Flight #3 will stay at the Tradewinds Hotel. Previously, there was word that the group would be split into two groups for quarantine accommodations, with some going to the Tradewinds, while others to Fatuoaiga. The change of plans was announced yesterday via Zoom.]