The Pago Pago Post Office closed its doors around this morning and the entire facility is now cordoned off with yellow caution tape restricting anyone from accessing their mail boxes.
The Post Office lobby was full around 11:30 this morning when Post Master Tao Suani came out and said they have to shut the postal facility for health and safety reasons,.
She said they would announce through the media when the Post Office will reopen.
The yellow caution tape went up this afternoon and large red signs that say “closed” have been placed on the Post Office office windows by the Department of Health.
Acting Director of Health Vesi Fautanu Jr. said the Post Office had been advised yesterday to close the facility because of health and safety concerns.
He said not only is the facility infested with rats, they’ve also discovered mold and asbestos in the building.
Vesi said the main concern is for the health and safety of members of the public entering the building as well as employees .
He said the Lumana’i Building is 50 years old and he doesn’t know the last time there was any work to clean and upgrade the postal facility.
The acting director told KHJ News that there had been an issue about DOH entering the Post Office, a federal agency, and doing their work without special clearance.
He explained that the health of the people of American Samoa is DOH’s priority and closing the facility was in his view in the best interest of protecting the public’s health.
He acknowledges that the Post Office needs to figure out a way to distribute mail. He also pointed out that the Development Bank of American Samoa as the owner of the Lumana’i Building also needs to play its role.
The Honolulu District of the US Postal Service is to release a media notice.
KHJ News understands that the Post Master had allowed an inspection of the Post Office by DOH which found the mold problem and that was deemed to be the most pressing concern.
DBAS was at the Post Office last week addressing the rat problem.
