Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Two local residents who returned last week after visiting China and Taiwan are under 14-day quarantine observation for the coronavirus at the Leone Health Center. This is according to DOH’s Dr. Saipale Fuimaono during a cabinet briefing late Sunday afternoon.

Both cases are considered “low level suspects”, said DoH, which recommends the closing of American Samoa’s borders if either Samoa, Tonga, or Hawai’i gets a confirmed case of the coronavirus which has spread fast globally and has claimed more than 350 lives in China, where the virus started last December in the city of Wuhan.

The Associated Press reported yesterday morning that the Philippines government announced it now has two deaths from the virus -  that has spread to more than 12 countries around the world, including the U.S. with 9 cases.

TRAVELERS QUARANTINE

Dr. Fuimaono said that up to last Sunday, 4 travelers were quarantined at the Leone Health Clinic, with the first case being a couple who originated from Florida and transited through Atlanta and Honolulu before arriving in the territory, where they spent a few days, before heading to Samoa, who denied them entry.

The reason, he said, was that the couple had high fever and with Samoa taking all necessary precautions, the couple was returned to the territory and were taken to the Leone clinic for quarantine observation.

The DoH medical team spoke with the couple and gathered information on their travel history and found that the pair had no history of recent travel to China. They were under observation for 3 days before they were released after doing well. The couple has since returned to the US instead of heading back to Samoa.

The third passenger is a returning 39-year-old resident from China who arrived on a Hawaiian Airlines flight on Jan. 27th. Travel contact tracing by DoH shows that the man left China on Jan. 26th and headed to Hong Kong, Japan, Hawaii and then American Samoa.
 
(Samoa News points out that the new measures implemented to counter the coronavirus didn’t become public until the governor issued his Jan. 29th order, which is also when they become effective. Samoa News understands that it was a local businessman who alerted ASG officials that the 39-year-old passenger had traveled to China and arrived Jan. 27th before the Jan. 29th order. It was at that time that DOH sought the traveler who was then quarantined.)

The 4th passenger is a 48-year-old female returning resident who departed Taiwan on Jan. 29th, transiting through Honolulu and arriving in the territory on the Hawaiian Air flight on Jan. 30th.

As of Sunday’s cabinet briefing, Dr. Fuimaono said both travelers are doing well, showing no symptoms of the virus; but continue to be monitored by DoH medical personnel. He emphasized that these two passengers are “low level” suspected cases.

He gave an update briefing on the new virus and the countries with confirmed cases, and revealed that DoH and others held a conference call last week with the World Health Organization (WHO) for an update on the virus, which has no vaccination.

Dr. Fuimaono said that data provided shows that the highest number of deaths - more than 350 in China - are people 50 years old and older. As of yesterday morning, among the countries with confirmed cases are the United States with 11; Taiwan with 10; and South Korea with 15.

The WHO said yesterday that the number of confirmed cases will keep growing because tests are pending on thousands of suspected cases.

HAWAIIAN AIR AND NEW TRAVELER FORM

DoH has prepared a new “Traveler Health Declaration” form which Dr. Fuimaono says will be handed out to passengers on Hawaiian Airlines flights to fill out before landing. He said questions on the form are based on guidelines from the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The first question asks the traveler whether he/she has “been in China in the past two weeks”. If the answer is NO, the traveler is then asked to list the countries and cities he/she  traveled through in the past two weeks.

If the passenger originated from the United States, he is asked to provide the city and state he came from and the date of departure from that jurisdiction.

A screenshot of the new “Traveler Health Declaration” form by the Health Department, distributed to passengers arriving on Hawaiian Airlines flights, dealing with the new deadly coronavirus. This is one of the slides DoH shared during a cabinet briefing late Sunday afternoon. See story for details. [photo: FS]

DoH had a meeting scheduled yesterday with Hawaiian Air officials regarding the coronavirus. Gov. Lolo Matalasi Moliga urged DoH to ensure the airline is fully aware of all travel restrictions in place. Among the measures implemented in American Samoa to counter the coronavirus, is that all foreign nationals - except Samoa passport holders - enter the territory through the Hawaii route. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a screening station at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu.

RECOMMENDATION

Among recommendations from DoH director Motusa Tuileama Nua to address the spread of the virus to American Samoa, is limiting entry permits to one-per-week. Another recommendation is that if there is one confirmed case in Hawaii, Samoa, or Tonga, DoH “highly recommends border closure”

Talofa Airways currently provides two weekly flights between Tonga and Pago Pago, but Motusa claims the airline - at times - operates a flight without advance notice so DoH personnel are present for screening.

That statement didn’t sit well with the governor who directed DoH to make sure Talofa Airways is made aware of the current travel policy to follow and if not, for Port Administration to take any necessary action.

Port director Taimalelagi Dr. Claire Poumele explained that the Airport division is informed of all flights in and out of Pago Pago International Airport. She noted that Talofa Airways usually operates two weekly flights to and from Tonga, but at times, just one flight a week depending on the passenger load.

Motusa said DoH will continue to carry out screening at the airport and ensure that all travel restrictions to address both the measles and coronavirus are carried out. Lolo reiterated the need to ensure that all travelers follow current requirements to enter the territory.

Screenshot of the symptoms of the coronavirus - which has no vaccination - during the Health Department’s briefing late Sunday afternoon for cabinet members. See story for details. [photo: FS]