Three crew members of a container ship which arrived in port today have tested positive for COVID-19.
The Fesco Askold which calls into Pago Pago regularly arrived in port at noon today.
In accordance with Department of Health testing protocols, the crew of the vessel were tested for COVID-19 before anyone could disembark or any cargo could be unloaded.
DOH Epidemiologist Dr Aifili John Tufa announced at a press conference late tonight that three of 17 crew members of the vessel were confirmed to have the coronavirus. He explained these are positive COVID-19 cases, not false positives as the near scare last week on the purse seine “Rosita C.”
No one from the Fesco Askold came on shore.
The 7 DOH personnel who went on board to administer the COVID-19 tests, two lab workers, and two Port Administration pilots who guided the Fesco Askold into port have been taken into quarantine.
Plans were to send the ship out to the open seas to await further instructions as soon as the positive results were known, however Coast Guard regulations prohibit the entry and exit of vessels after 6pm. So it will overnight at the main dock and will be sent out at 6 am Monday.
Port authorities have pulled up the ship’s ladder.
The Fesco Askold left California around October 24th. It was in Tahiti Nov 3rd for one day and was in Apia on Nov. 7th before docking in American Samoa today, Nov 8th.
