When will the Post Office reopen is what many have been asking since the Department of Health forced the closure of the postal facility yesterday morning.
A team from Island Safety and Sanitation has decontaminated the building and there’s a tentative plan to reopen it in Friday morning.
Acting Director of Health Vesi Fautanu Jr. says the Development Bank of American Samoa,
the owners of the Lumanai Building has been active in clean up and decontamination efforts to get the building reopened.
He said after a 24 hour period following the spraying of chemicals it’s expected that by tomorrow evening the staff would be allowed in to process the mail and reopen the Post Office for mail processing on Friday morning.
Responding to questions about how DOH can identify asbestos in the building without tests, Vesi said DOH in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency has historical that asbestos is present in the building materials for the 50 year old Lumana’i Building.
“The safety and health of members of the public who enter the building and those who work at the Post Office is the main concern,” said Vesi.
He defends DOH’s decision to force the closure of the Post Office so thst corrective actions can be taken, asking that this has come as a relief to the Post Office staff.
The acting director said he is also notifying other tenants in the Lumana’i Building that DOH will also move to close the whole building for the same reasons, and they should look at alternative locations to continue their services.
