27 Apr 2020

American Samoa not planning random Covid-19 testing yet

1:11 pm on 27 April 2020

Authorities in American Samoa are not planning random Covid-19 testing at this stage, even with shipments of test kits and swabs arriving in the territory.

1100 test kits and 1000 swabs arrived over the weekend, increasing the capacity to test for the coronavirus locally.

There were also just under 200 kits remaining from a previous shipment.

As of the weekend 23 local tests had been conducted by the Department of Health, all with negative results.

The department is only testing those showing with Covid-19 symptoms.

Meanwhile, with stimulus funding hitting the bank accounts of social security beneficiaries, the continued distribution of Gita food assistance coupons and reports of village visits by a gubernatorial camp, medical professionals have expressed concern that social distancing recommendations are not being followed.