HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Guam could be almost back to normal after July 21, when wearing face masks in public becomes optional while restaurants, retail stores and other businesses could be back at 100% of capacity.
But all of this depends on Guam’s ability to reach 80% herd immunity against Covid-19 by July 21, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said Thursday at an economic forum that focused on fully reopening the economy.
The governor said, with more residents fully vaccinated, Guam has made “great strides to shift from Covid response to recovery.”
Guam’s pandemic response and recovery were funded by some $2 billion in federal money, about half of that for unemployment assistance.
As of Thursday, Guam was at 72% adult vaccination rate and the governor could lift more travel restrictions when it reaches 75%, as recommended by her Physicians Advisory Group. The governor said she will discuss this further with her team.
The governor’s 80% herd immunity goal means fully vaccinating 80%, or 96,031, of Guam’s estimated 120,039 adult population.
The herd immunity count excludes fully vaccinated minors 12 to 17 years old. Overall, 92,222 adults and minors have been fully vaccinated, the Joint Information Center said.
‘Back to normal’
“My vision for Guam — after July 21 — is to get back to normal as possible. While I will still encourage residents to wear their face masks, especially in crowds, I intend to restore occupancy limits to 100% and lift the cap on social gatherings,” the governor said at the economic forum the Guam Hotel and Restaurant Association hosted at the Hyatt Regency Guam.
Dr. Hoa Nguyen, chairman of the governor’s Physicians Advisory Group, said the wearing of masks will become optional once the 80% herd immunity is reached but he and the governor highly encourage residents to continue to wear masks in public, especially in crowded areas, as a precaution.
The governor also said the public health emergency does not end on July 21, and the public needs to remain vigilant, especially with the emergence of new Covid-19 variants.
Guam could see more travel restrictions lifted by early July, Guam Visitors Bureau President Carl Gutierrez said at a GVB board meeting after the economic forum.
These could include a change in the requirement of Covid-19 testing, Gutierrez said, which would entice more tourists to visit Guam.
Optimism
Roseann Jones, professor of economics at the University of Guam, said she’s optimistic about the future of Guam, post-pandemic.
“I absolutely believe that this island will come out of this far better,” she said. “I think that the direction of change is with us as I look at diversity.”
There are going to be great investments in workforce, she said, thus spreading opportunities.
“I also think that infrastructure will play a huge role here. We’re seeing construction investments,” Jones said, adding that the pandemic has shown the importance of education.
The four-hour economic forum covered a wide array of subjects based on presentations and questions from the public, from easing the two-hour processing at the airport for arriving travelers to vaccine tourism.
It also covered government plans to help more small businesses and bring more residents back to work, as well as maximizing the use of QR codes on mobile phones as secondary proof of Covid-19 testing and vaccination and as a reminder for a booster shot.
Nguyen said Guam residents could need a booster shot as early as September, as the effectiveness of a vaccine tapers off after nine to 10 months. Covid-19 vaccinations started in December 2020.
The governor said she plans to use American Rescue Plan money to offer another round of small business grants.
“In summary, we are offering direct aid to small businesses, stimulus for families to spend in our economy, and continued policy work to create a more business-friendly environment,” the governor said.
Among the panelists at the economic forum were officials from the Department of Public Health and Social Services, the Physicians Advisory Group and the Surgeon Cell, who talked about health and travel protocols.
Other panelists were from GVB, the Governor’s Recovery Task Force, Guam Department of Labor, Guam International Airport Authority, Guam Economic Development Authority and University of Guam, as well as the Guam Chamber of Commerce.
Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero addresses an economic forum Thursday at the Hyatt Regency in Tumon.
