WITH Guam reporting four positive cases containing the delta variant among community members with no recent travel history, Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation Chief Executive Officer Esther L. Muna on Wednesday said the goal of getting more people vaccinated in the CNMI is more critical than ever.
“The CNMI has always been monitoring the cases globally, including Guam, and we saw that the delta variant is indeed spreading,” she said. “Our decisions to make changes to our entry protocols come from epi factors and details of the cases we’re finding at the border. We’re grateful that we have the ability to make those changes as they become necessary,” Muna added.
“We have always ensured no one exits quarantine, whether it be at home or at the government site, without testing out. The current situation in the U.S. is similar to what we saw last year, but this time, we have the vaccines to protect and save lives.”
She noted that the CNMI has also been reporting breakthrough cases, which involve those who are fully vaccinated.
“We can see how the vaccines are fighting back and preventing severe illnesses. We cannot emphasize enough that achieving the goal of getting more people vaccinated in the CNMI is more critical than ever. We must also continue to practice the 3Ws: Wear a face mask, wash your hands and watch your distance,” Muna said.
An additional individual was confirmed positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday evening, bringing the CNMI’s total to 211 cases since March 28, 2020.
The individual who was identified by travel screening and confirmed through testing on arrival on Monday, Aug. 9, 2021, has been quarantined, and is being actively monitored.
The CHCC Communicable Disease Investigation/Inspection team has already initiated contact tracing for the most immediate contacts of the new confirmed cases.
View the new CHCC COVID-19 dashboard at https://chcc.datadriven.health/covid19
