GOVERNOR Ralph DLG Torres is asking all newly arrived travelers, residents or visitors, to follow the CNMI’s Covid-19 protocols.
“It’s important to follow those guidelines,” he said. “I know sometimes, it’s about convenience. ‘I want to get out. I [have] to do this. I [have] to do that.’ But let’s keep you safe before you leave the quarantine site and [go] out into the community because it’s not worth leaving early and not following protocols for convenience, and then in the end, spreading [Covid-19] in our community, which has worked so hard in following the protocols.”
The governor at the same time commended CNMI community members and front liners for their continued dedication in protecting the Commonwealth.
“Again, I wanted to let everyone know that our quarantine sites here in the CNMI have worked and have been proven to keep our residents as well as our tourists safe,” he added.
As for President Joe Biden’s announcement that some Covid-19 restrictions for fully vaccinated foreign travelers will be lifted, Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. Chief Executive Officer Esther L. Muna said, “That is for international travelers entering a U.S. state or territory. So, [the passengers of] a flight coming in from South Korea, for example, are…individuals that must be vaccinated before they go into the community starting Nov. 8.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for its part, has new contact tracing rules requiring airlines to collect information from international passengers, including phone numbers, email and U.S. addresses, and to retain them for 30 days in case there is a need to follow up with travelers who have been exposed to Covid-19 variants or other pathogens.
The CDC said there are no religious exemptions for international travelers seeking to avoid Covid-19 requirements.
Foreign travelers will need to provide vaccination documentation from an official source and airlines must confirm the last dose was at least two weeks earlier than the travel date.
International air travelers will need to provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken within three days prior to departure.
The Biden administration said unvaccinated Americans and foreign nationals receiving exemptions will need to provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test within one day of departing.
