HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — The highly transmissible delta variant of the Covid-19 virus has spread within the community for more than a month now, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero announced on Wednesday, even as newly identified Covid-19 clusters have been linked to a wedding, a karaoke bar, a BBQ party, and a government agency.
Full vaccination remains the strongest measure against the delta variant, which has been pummeling a number of states that mainly had the lowest vaccination rate, health officials said at a press conference.
Department of Public Health and Social Services officials issued a call out for all the individuals who attended the following social events, to get tested as soon as possible:
• A karaoke bar event on July 23, in which five positive cases have so far been identified. DPHSS said there’s stiff opposition from individuals to provide the contact numbers of the people in this event.
• A July 24 wedding reception with approximately 300 individuals. At least 18 positive cases have so far been identified spread among seven families.
• A BBQ party two days later that was attended by 15 people from the wedding reception. At least 21 positive cases have so far been identified at the BBQ party.
• A cluster involving personnel of the Guam Fire Department. At least one GFD employee had been to the three social gatherings.
Free Covid-19 testing is provided daily at the old carnival grounds at Tiyan.
The governor is strongly encouraging businesses and those hosting events to require vaccinations.
5 samples with delta variant
Of 21 samples sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in early July, five samples came back with the delta variant, the governor said.
“Of these five samples, four had no known travel. This tells us that the delta variant had spread within the community,” the governor said. “The danger of the delta variant is that it’s more contagious, especially among our unvaccinated.”
The governor reiterated that should Guam’s situation escalate, she would be reinstating restrictions starting with a cap on social gathering, followed by a limit to business occupancy.
Right now, she said, Covid-19 hospitalization remains “manageable,” which she attributed to full vaccination.
Guam’s Covid-19 area risk score went up to 8.8, and there are now nine people who are hospitalized and have tested positive for the virus.
The CAR score is similar to what was seen in August last year leading to a lockdown, but health officials said the big difference is that the vaccination this year has relatively kept hospitalization low.
Public schools will open Thursday as scheduled, the governor said.
The governor welcomed the news that the judicial branch also started mandating full vaccination, and was looking forward to the Legislature to do the same. “Be a role model,” the governor said.
Lou Leon Guerrero
