Pain, gratitude mix for American Samoans stuck in U.S.

Pain, gratitude mix for American Samoans stuck in U.S.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Lorimay Fuimaono-Ki will not always have complicated feelings about Jan. 7. But in 2021, it was a day of intense gratitude and searing pain. The young mother cannot stop the tears as she tries to explain what life has been like since her home, the U.S. territory of American Samoa, closed its borders to keep COVID-19 from ravaging the tiny string of Pacific Islands and atolls. The decision kept the country coronavirus-free, but it’s cost people like Fuimaono-Ki in many ways, including precious time with relatives making due without them in their island home.