A recommendation by the Coronavirus Task Force to have the container ship Fesco Askold anchor outside the harbor for a minimum of seven days has been approved by Governor Lolo Moliga.
The Task Force Chairman Iulogologo Joseph Pereira said their recommendation to the governor is for the vessel to wait out for seven days until an assessment of the situation is completed.
He said this would accord time to the Department of Health to work with the shipping agent for the vessel, Department of Port Administration and Customs Division to determine a viable strategy, with emphasis on containing transmission, to allow the vessel to off-load its containers and pick up a minimum of 200 containers of Starkist products destined for the United States
Department of Health Epidemiologist, Dr Aifili John Tufa said a decision on whether the vessel’s cargo can be offloaded would be made after DOH meets with the local agent, Samoa Pacific Shipping this afternoon.
KHJ News asked about the testing of the three confirmed coronavirus cases from the Fesco Askold.
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The Chairman of the Coronavirus Task Force Iulogologo said Port Director Taimalelagi, Dr Claire Poumele, has taken steps to decontaminate the dock area to ensure that every precaution is taken to mitigate any contamination which might have resulted during the time the vessel was at dockside.
The port will resume its normal business at 7:30 Tuesday morning according to a notice from Taimalelagi.
In the meantime according to the Coronavirus Task Force Chairman, “We have adopted the posture that we have three (3) positive cases and we hope that the quick actions by the Department of Health and the Department of Port/Administration allowed us to contain and restrict the coronavirus on the vessel.”
