Local News
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The Distribution Task Force has identified four sites that will be used for administering the COVID-19 vaccine, once the vaccination moves to the general public and the Health Department plans to announce when that will occur.
Additionally, individuals interested in...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Just a month after the election was held, Rep. Savali Talavou Ale appears to have a majority lined up on his side to retain the House Speaker’s post when faipule for the 37th Legislature are sworn in Jan. 3rd, 2021. However, according to their constituents, three faipule...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Members of the government’s COVID-19 Task Force will remain in place until the end of January 2021, as the Lolo Administration transitions ASG to the incoming administration of governor-elect, Lt. Gov. Lemonu Palepoi Silage Mauga and lieutenant governor-elect Talauega...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — At last Wednesday’s cabinet meeting at the Gov. Rex Lee Auditorium, US Interior Department Field Representative Lydia Faleafine-Nomura was recognized by Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga with a Governor’s Resolution — “honoring and expressing profound gratitude” from the out-...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The government has charged a 32-year-old man with unlawful possession of illegal drugs and for trying to break into a store in Fagaima in July of last year. Faasoo Gasetoto, a.k.a “BLOOD” made his initial appearance in District Court last month.
Gasetoto, who has a long...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Even before the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the second vaccine by Moderna Inc. to fight against the coronavirus, the federal government has already allocated more than 2,000 dose of the Moderna vaccine for American Samoa expected to arrive by the end...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Palau’s International Coral Reef Center on marine protected areas, including the establishment of a sister sanctuary arrangement between Puipuiga lautele o le...
Tafuna, AS — The yearly JROTC Air Rifle meet is a competition looked forward to between all local public high schools and Kanana Fou, the only private school with a JROTC program.
The JROTC curriculum Marksmanship course educates cadets on the safe and responsible use of firearms through its gun...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Governor Lolo Matalasi Moliga is the first in American Samoa to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. He chose to receive the vaccine first as a show of confidence to our people to encourage them to consider taking the vaccine.
The vaccine arrived Saturday on a weekly...
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — With the safe arrival of the Pfizer vaccine over the weekend, patients and escorts approved for the medical charter next month, overseen by the American Samoa Medicaid State Agency — the Medicaid Office, were given the vaccine yesterday inside the “Quarantine Tent” at...

![At last week’s cabinet meeting the Vaccine Distribution Task Force made a presentation, in which DoH Senior Epidemiologist, Dr. Aifili John Tufa, discussed, among other things, priority of getting the vaccine under a Tier set-up. [SN file photo] Dr. Aifili John Tufa](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/dr_a_tufa_0.jpg?itok=rQw78HVL)
![Out of 20 faipule eligible to vote on who will be the Speaker of the House, only a few are not supporting Savali for the post, according to one local pundit. [photo by AF] Rep. Savali Talavou Ale in his role as Speaker of the House](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/house_speaker_0267_0.jpg?itok=BeJxZ6Gp)
![The government’s COVID-19 Task Force will remain in place until the end of January 2021 to expedite the transition, Gov. Lolo said at last week's cabinet meeting. [SN fIle photo] File photo of government’s COVID-19 Task Force](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/asg-covid_task-force_8.jpg?itok=QSMcJrXC)
![US Interior Department Field Representative Lydia Faleafine-Nomura (left) and Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga (right) pose for a photo holding the Governor’s Resolution — “honoring and expressing profound gratitude” from the out-going Lolo/Lemanu Administration to Faleafine-Nomura “for her tireless, selfless dedicated and compassionate service to the people of American Samoa.” [photo: Leua Aiono Frost] Lydia Faleafine-Nomura (left) and Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga (right) pose for a photo](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/gov_n_lydia_long_cap.jpg?itok=Ra4endOx)

![Like the Pfizer vaccine, the Moderna vaccine also requires two doses before the person is considered fully immunized. [SN file photo] Covid-19 vaccine bottles](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/covid-19_vaccine_viles_2.png?itok=LMYmC-wW)
![The Tauese P.F. Sunia Ocean Center, headquarters for the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa. [SN file photo] The Tauese P.F. Sunia Ocean Center,](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/ocean_center_4.jpeg?itok=iahQYeLr)
![Tafuna High School JROTC members pose for a photo after the team’s victory at the annual JROTC air rifle competition. [courtesy photo] Tafuna High School JROTC members](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/ths_air_rifle.jpg?itok=PDvc1npl)
![Gov. Lolo chose to receive the vaccine first as a show of confidence to our people to encourage them to consider taking the vaccine.[Courtesy photo] Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga receiving COVID-19 vaccine](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/lolo_vaccine_0706.jpg?itok=SIiWg-wT)
![LBJ Medical Center chief medical officer Dr. Iotamo Saleapaga (far left) and the hospital’s medical staff, pose for a photo yesterday morning outside the “Quarantine Tent” at the LBJ compound where patients on the medical charter next month received COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Pfizer Inc. [photo: FS] Dr. Iotamo Saleapaga (far left) and the hospital’s medical staff](https://samoanews.com/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/lbj_medical_staff.jpg?itok=Jc4mYiIU)