Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — LBJ Medical Center is reporting a total of 26 deaths relating to COVID-19 after the hospital officially confirmed a fatality earlier this week, according to officials who attended yesterday morning’s COVID-19 Task Force briefing, where the hospital made its presentation.

LBJ’s acting chief of staff Dr. Akapusi Ledua presented at Monday’s virtual task force news conference the 25th COVID-19 related death on Apr. 24 and one other death was being reviewed to determine if it’s COVID related.

And at yesterday morning’s briefing Dr. Ledua said, the one death that was under review, it is now confirmed as COVID related and the deceased is a 59-year old female, who is unvaccinated, according to officials in attendance. And at the time of the briefing, LBJ reported three patients in the COVID ward.

Also at the briefing, Health Department reported that of the 395 tested on Apr. 26, five individuals are positive and none of them were treated at either LBJ and DoH. Additionally, total cumulative tested positive since the community spread on Feb 22 has reached 5,761, with 139 active cases.

Furthermore, there is still no community COVID-19 cases reported in Manu’a, where DoH is continuing testing at the island group.

Officials who attended the briefing also say that it was announced by Lt. Gov. Talauega Eleasalo Ale that the governor is planning to issue a new COVID-19 declaration sometime today, or tomorrow, Friday. And it will include the increasing of people indoor count from 10 to 100, providing fully masked and social distancing; and for outdoors — with no more limitation, but requiring masking and social distancing.

The Health Department chart shows total COVID-19 positive cases since the community spread was reported on Feb. 22, and the villages from where the virus are reported.