HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Guam’s Covid-19-related deaths increased by two to 153 and the number of hospitalized patients went up to 63 on Tuesday.
As the Covid-19 spike continues, more Guam residents are rolling up their sleeves to get vaccinated, mainly to keep their jobs or to be able to go to restaurants, and not necessarily out of fear of the deadly virus.
One new Covid-19-related death occurred on Sunday, and another death from August was newly reclassified as related to Covid-19, the Joint Information Center reported Tuesday night.
• A 70-year-old man with “unknown vaccination history” became Guam’s 152nd Covid-19-related fatality at Guam Memorial Hospital on Sunday.
• A death that occurred on Aug. 25 just recently was classified as related to Covid-19, becoming the 153rd death. It involved a 34-year-old woman with “no known vaccination” who was dead on arrival at GMH.
“Our hearts go out to the loved ones of those lost to this deadly virus,” said Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero. “Covid-19 knows no bounds; with no location completely free of it, no age completely safe from it. Because of this, we must create boundaries around our community. We can do this by getting vaccinated, wearing our masks around those outside of our household, and practicing social distancing.”
The number of patients hospitalized continues to increase over the past month. It further went up to 63 on Tuesday, from 56 during the weekend.
Of the 32 Covid-19 patients at GMH, 18 were unvaccinated.
Out of 24 cases at Guam Regional Medical City, 13 were unvaccinated.
Two patients at GMH were in the intensive care unit, and the same number of patients were in the ICU at GRMC.
There were 60 new cases of Covid-19 out of 480 tests performed on Sept. 6, according to JIC.
Guam’s Covid-19 Area Risk Score reached 39.4, far higher than the safe threshold of 2.5 established by the government of Guam.
There are currently 2,054 Covid-19 cases in active isolation. Guam’s total Covid-19 reported cases since March 2020 reached 11,494, and most of them recovered.
‘It’s not right’
More residents are getting their first Covid-19 vaccine dose this week, but not primarily out of concern they will catch the deadly virus or pass it on to their families.
Eric Wusstig, a 43-year-old father of six, said if it weren’t for the possibility of losing his job if he doesn’t get vaccinated, he wouldn’t have found himself at the University of Guam Calvo Field House on Tuesday getting his first dose of the vaccine.
“To me, it’s not right to require vaccination,” Wusstig said. “If the government can assure me that I won’t catch Covid and I won’t get hospitalized if I get vaccinated, then that’s good. So many people are in the hospital even if they’re vaccinated.”
Guam has seen breakthrough cases, or people testing positive for Covid-19 even after they’re fully vaccinated. This has been common across the states. Local health experts have said vaccinations helped prevent more deaths.
Wusstig said he was unemployed long before the pandemic started. But he said he recently found a job in construction, and he would like to keep his job for his family.
“I like my job and I need this job to support my family,” Wusstig told The Guam Daily Post.
The governor mandated Covid-19 vaccination among most GovGuam employees, as well as employees of certain private sector businesses such as restaurants and bars. Private employers, including those in the construction industry, have highly recommended or required vaccination among employees.
“I wasn’t sure about the vaccine, whether it can really protect me and other people. That’s why I was hesitant,” Wusstig said. The UOG vaccination clinic is being operated by the Guam National Guard, in support of the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said getting fully vaccinated does not prevent becoming infected or passing on the virus that causes Covid-19, but it prevents severe symptoms and hospitalization.
Frank Manglona, 35, said, were it not for the governor’s mandate on vaccination to be able to dine in at restaurants, he wouldn’t have decided to get vaccinated.
That, plus his girlfriend encouraging him to get vaccinated, led him to receive his first dose of the Moderna vaccine on Tuesday at UOG.
“I was hesitating about it because I didn’t know whether it’s really going to help me or not,” he said. “And then the governor said people can’t go to restaurants and eat there if they’re not vaccinated. That’s it for me because I like going to restaurants. I eat out three to four times a week.”
Manglona said he works for an employer that does not require full vaccination.
‘Afraid of dying’
Julie Cruz, 51, is scared of needles, and that kept her from getting vaccinated sooner, she said.
But her boyfriend, Joel Quinata, encouraged her to get vaccinated so both of them can get better protection from Covid-19, he said.
“I’m afraid of dying from Covid,” he said. “Thankfully, I don’t have it. I got tested before, it’s negative. People should get vaccinated.”
Quinata said he used to be among those people who believed in “rumors” about the Covid-19 vaccine, but after seeing that most people who die of the disease are not vaccinated and most of those who were vaccinated are doing just fine, he got his first dose in August and will get his second one this month.
Nicole Kaminanga, 29, said she got her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine a day after she gave birth to her second child, and got her second dose on Tuesday at UOG.
“When I was pregnant, I wasn’t sure if it was safe to get vaccinated. I asked the doctor and the doctor said it’s safe, so I got the first dose a day after I gave birth in August. My daughter is good and healthy,” she said.
Some 81.6% of Guam’s vaccine-eligible residents, or those at least 12 years old, have been fully vaccinated.
Public officials said, besides getting fully vaccinated, residents should continue to wear masks, keep their distance, and wash their hands to help stop the spread of Covid-19.
Tenison Llemelong, an administrative specialist from Securitas Security Services Inc., receives his first Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccination at the University of Guam Calvo Field House in Mangilao on Saturday.
