Hawaii Approves DOH as Coronavirus Testing Partner

coronavirus-test

The American Samoa Department of Health has been approved by the State of Hawaii as a trusted testing partner for coronavirus.

Hawaii Governor David Ige announced the state’s expanded list of trusted testing partners for the pre-travel testing program for both domestic transPacific travel and inter island travel, over the weekend.

Tests from the new partners will be accepted beginning Tuesday.

“Partners were selected based on their ability to administer the test and expand the testing network, with the goal of making it easier to safely travel to Hawaii,” Ige’s office stated in a news release.

Speaking on behalf of Director of Health Motusa Tuileama Nua, DOH Epidemiologist Dr Aifili John Tufa said this is a big win for American Samoa.

“What this means is all coronavirus tests performed at our lab will be approved by Hawaii State,” said Dr Tufa.

“Anyone who tests negative from the DOH lab for coronavirus will be exempt from various restrictions in Hawaii and different states, to include quarantine requirements.”

Dr Tufa said credit should so to DOH Lab Manager June Vaifanua-Leo and Lab Technologist Catherine Montalbo for their hard work in compiling the application.

Hawaii’s pre-travel testing program launched on Oct. 15, allowing travelers to bypass the mandatory 14-day quarantine with a negative Covid-19 test taken three days prior to travel. Passengers without a test from one of the state’s trusted testing partners are still subject to the quarantine. Hawaii also launched a pre-travel testing program for passengers arriving from Japan on Nov. 6.

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