Students of public schools and some private schools return to campus today for the first time since the territory recorded its first community case of COVID-19 on February 21st. Only fully vaccinated students will be allowed in class. Teachers and support staff must also be fully vaccinated.
Schools in Manu’a are continuing with virtual classes after the first COVID cases were recorded on Ta’u island last week.
The resumption of in-person classes coincides with Teacher Appreciation Week.
Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga said in a message for teachers, “These are challenging times, yet teachers have gone to incredible lengths to ensure young minds do not become stagnant but continue to flourish despite the pandemic’s impact on traditional schooling. There could not be a more appropriate time to thank our teachers for their ingenuity, resilience, hard work, and persistence throughout this year.”
“Today and always, we recognize the significant contributions our teachers make to the success of our students. We thank all our teachers for dedicating their careers to emboldening our children to find and take their place in the world. Their commitment to excellence is rewarded through the achievement and success of their Students.”
For the latest news on COVID: as of yesterday there were 15 cases on Ta’u Island, Manu’a. One from Ta’u and the rest from Faleasao village, where the first community cases were traced.
On Saturday, the Department of Health staff was in Fitiuta village to conduct COVID testing and everyone tested negative.
The last report from the Emergency Operations Center covers April 29th and shows 5,793 COVID case, of which only 105 are active while all others have recovered. DOH issued a new graph showing the 25 villages with the active cases.
84.1% of the total population is fully vaccinated and 61.6% have received first boosters.
Photos: Faafetai Loli
