FSM Information Services
Press Release
Governor Sigrah Confirms to President Panuelo Kosrae State’s Intention to Prohibit the Disembarkation of Passengers from International Commercial Air Carriers
PALIKIR, Pohnpei—On April 8th, 2020, His Excellency David W. Panuelo, President of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), received a communication from the Honorable Carson K. Sigrah, Governor of the FSM State of Kosrae, confirming Kosrae’s intention to “disallow any disembarkation” in Kosrae State from passengers on international commercial carriers. Kosrae has informed the FSM National Government that its quarantine facility is still under construction.
The Panuelo-George Administration and Governor Sigrah, in addition to Governors Falan, Elimo, and Oliver of Yap, Chuuk, and Pohnpei respectively, agree that it is in the collective interest of the Nation to prohibit disembarkation from passengers on international commercial carriers until further notice. Disembarkation of crew, such as for the purpose of aircraft maintenance, is allowed so long as said crew do not leave their operations area.
“I ask,” Governor Sigrah wrote in his letter to President Panuelo, “That we jointly disallow any passenger disembarkation in Kosrae State….”
President Panuelo has agreed to this request; no passengers, from any jurisdiction—international or from within the FSM—are to disembark in Kosrae State, or ANY FSM State, if they are traveling on an international commercial air carrier.
Although the FSM States of Yap, Chuuk, and Pohnpei have formally declared their intentions to prohibit the disembarkation of passengers from international commercial carriers, and President Panuelo has repeatedly and publicly pronounced his unwavering support to uphold these requests, the FSM State of Kosrae, per its March 17th Declaration of a State of Emergency, did not specifically prohibit the disembarkation of passengers if they were “citizens, nationals and residents.” This was not previously an issue on the premise that Kosrae had been temporarily divorced from international carrier air service, but as flights are scheduled to land in Kosrae on April 13th and April 14th the President had requested that Kosrae State formally advise whether it wished to allow the disembarkation of passengers or not.
As of April 8th, 2020, the FSM National Government respects the wishes of all four FSM States to prohibit the disembarkation of passengers from international commercial carriers; the National Government maintains its mandate of a 14-day quarantine for any arriving passengers in the event an FSM State chooses to relinquish its travel ban.
Outbound travel from the FSM to COVID-19 affected jurisdictions remains prohibited for all FSM citizens, with limited exceptions.