Dear Editor,
We the people voted for a governor to make hard and difficult decisions for the best interest of American Samoa. Where is he? He inherited one of the hardest problems, COVID 19 Pandemic, confronting not only the entire world including the United States and all of its states and territories. The governorsof each state and territory are embowered to make decisions to guard the health and well being of its people.
Why then is the governor delegating this sacred and important duty to a COVID 19 Advisory Panel made up of people who are uneducated, misinformed, and uninformed about the pandemic? By doing so, he is allowing these people to make decisions based solely on stoking fear about the pandemic in the minds of the people of American Samoa. We have all heard their argument that “It’ll take just one COVID 19 infected person to in American Samoaand all of our 60,000 plus people will die from this virus…e sili le puipui ia le togafitia.” BALONY!!!!!
The facts are that about 3% of those who catch the virus die because of health problems, majority are seniors, but most people recover and develop natural immunity to the virus. This percent is even lower now because of improved medical developments in PPE measures, treatment measures including testing and vaccines. There are 250 million people in the US and 3% would equateto 7,500,000 people and currently 505,000 havedied or less than 1%….If American Samoa experienced the same exposure, of the 60,000 people, 3% would be 1800 people and 1% would be 180 people would have died had our territory been fully exposed to the COVID 19 virus.
Actually more would have died because the funds allotted American Samoa to better equipped its hospital with PPEs, medical equipmentlike ventilators, medical supplies, and trained front line personnel as well as the population were squandered uselessly by the previous administration on perks such as direct paymentsto legislators, $10,000 and $20,000, themselves, special bonuses for meeting as a taskforce, and ASG employeesin payments like overtime and work from home, what a laugh!
With the roll out of the three COVID 19 vaccines and almost one hour testing, the governors in states like Hawaii are relaxing COVID 19 guidelines and allowing visitors who test negative and haveproof of being vaccinated to visit without quarantine. The governor makes the decision. The borders here are open people! What does American Samoa’s new governor do? He delegates the decision to open its borders to the above mentioned COVID 19 Advisory Board. This group doesnot include the most qualified and informed medical doctor in American Samoa (my personal opinion), Doctor Fred Urhle, because the medical advice offered was adversarial and include truthful medical facts which contradicted the FEAR being stoked by them.
This fear of the virus is being used for personnel gains resulting in huge financial cost to the people of American Samoa. The recent Repatriation Flights are costing up to about $2 million each to ASG. These huge expenses are:
- Hawaiian Airlines (Necessary)
- Hotels in Hawaii and American Samoa,its facility, staff, equipment, supplies etc. for ten days. (Completely Unnecessary).
- Sole source contracts to “who knows who”to provide three meals a day and provide other services like temporary hires to carry luggage, sit under the trees, security for both Hawaii and American Samoa. (Completely Unnecessary).
People who do not have the best interest of American Samoa at heart and close to the governor in American Samoa have found a way to make a lot of money by promoting this long and lengthy repatriation policy. 1400 people and growing on the repatriation waitlist, one repatriation flight per month times 12 months at $2 million per month WOW.. over $24 million!
CMON MAN! Step up Governor…do what our people voted for you to do..take control. Open our borders.
- Require all entering Samoa to present a negative test prior to entering. Require a test administered upon arrival and quarantine for 5 days to await results and release our people from quarantine upon receiving a negative test. You’ll also be able to catch those who travel on a false negative test.
- Have an Isolation Facility and hire the best medical personnel to deal and control this virus should one get on island.
God bless and guide you…God bless American Samoa..and God bless the United States of America.
Signed,
Someone who loves you and American Samoa
