American Samoa is to allow 17 stranded Mormon missionaries to depart the territory.

Photo: Jerry and Roy Klotz MD

The church members have been stuck in Pago Pago since the US territory closed its border in late March.

Governor Lolo Matalasi Moliga said an aircraft would be permitted to arrive and collect the passengers provided no-one deplaned while in the territory.

No date had been confirmed for the evacuation but a church elder said it would be some time during the coming week.

The nationalities of the evacuees and their destination had not been disclosed