American Samoa Health Department officials announce two more imported Covid-19 cases during an emergency news conference.
Both are fully vaccinated local residents who returned to the territory on the September 27 Hawaiian Airlines flight from Honolulu.
The first confirmed imported case was from the September 13th Hawaiian Airlines flight from Honolulu.
American Samoa Health Department’s Clinical Service acting director Dr. Elizabeth Lauvao. Photo: Fili Sagapolutele/RNZ Pacific
There were 232 passengers on the September 27 flight from Honolulu, all of them were placed in quarantine and the first Covid-19 test carried out Wednesday morning.
Some 49 passengers were quarantined at Sadies by the Sea hotel, and the rest at the Tradewinds Hotel, which is near the Pago Pago International Airport.
Health Department's Clinical Service acting director Elizabeth Lauvao explained that one of the travellers quarantined at Sadies' hotel, tested Covid-19 positive, and based on the test result it appears that the individual was recently infected with the virus before returning to the territory.
Additionally, health authorities identified two-passengers who are close-contacts with the positive case - as they travelled and roomed together.
At Tradewinds Hotel, another traveller tested positive, said Dr Lauvao, pointing out that this positive case also appears to have been recently infected with the virus before returning to American Samoa.
Additionally, health officials identified one other traveller who was a close-contact with the positive case.
Epidemiologist Aifili Dr John Tufa Photo: RNZ Pacific / Monica Miller
Dr Lauvao said the two positive cases, and the three passengers identified as close-contacts, are now in isolation for 14-days at a separate government facility and will be closely monitored by health officials.
"The two new cases as well as the three close contacts are all local residents, who were fully vaccinated before traveling to the U.S," Dr Lauvao said .
The territory's lead epidemiologist, Dr Aifili John Tufa of the Department of Health said the good news is that officials were able to contain the new cases and isolate them.
Both of the two confirmed cases are asymptomatic, and had been fully vaccinated.
"The virus, even after you have taken your shot, can still enter through your nostrils and other parts of your body," according to Dr Tufa.
However, for those who have had the vaccine, they have the ability now to fight that virus off but while that virus is in there, you can still test positive," he said.
Most likely, you won't get sick or if you do get sick, it's going to be very mild symptoms, so that's what the vaccine does for you. It's not going to prevent the virus from entering your body, it will help you fight the virus," Dr Tufa said.
American Samoa remains at Code Blue level but officials say the Covid-19 taskforce will meet to discuss what happens next, in consultation with Us Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
So far, he said, American Samoa now have three imported confirm Covid-19 cases - one from the September 13 flight from Honolulu, and two on the September 27 flight.