COMMONWEALTH Healthcare Corp. Chief Executive Officer Esther L. Muna on Friday said in the best case scenario, all individuals who want to be vaccinated will have received their shots by May.
Esther Muna
The worst case scenario, she said, is that the vaccination will be completed in August.
Muna said as of Thursday, a total of 8,486 individuals had been vaccinated, and 4,484 individuals had received both doses, bringing the CNMI total to 12,970 doses administered to the population.
The Commonwealth, she added, has received a total of 18,000 doses, which means there are 6,000 doses left.
But Muna said CHCC communicates regularly with the federal government to ensure that the allocation of vaccines for the CNMI is adequate.
“We anticipate to receive more doses by the end of this month,” she added. “We’re trying to ensure that we have vaccinated at least 60 to 70% of our adult population, especially our manamko’, 55 years or older on Rota, Tinian and Saipan,” Muna said.
Individuals on Tinian who already received their first dose were due for their second dose Sunday, Valentine’s Day.
Muna also said that there are new quarantine guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that CHCC and the administration are now reviewing.
The new guidelines, she added, intend to address healthcare staffing issues.
She emphasized that evidence-based data is crucial when making decisions that affect the healthcare system.
“We’ve seen what happens with loosened protocols: more cases and more infections in the community, which we don’t have,” she added.
“We want to continue doing what’s right and what’s appropriate for the CNMI.”
Muna encourages individuals to register and be vaccinated against Covid-19, especially the manamko’ and those with underlying conditions.
“We are committed to making sure that the most vulnerable are protected, so that’s our focus and that will always be our focus,” she said.
Walk-ins for vaccination are only available for the manamko’; all other individuals must register either online or over the phone, Muna said.
She reiterated that the plan for the local vaccination campaign was submitted to and approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC.
“We report to the CDC and HHS,” she added.
Steady pace
The chairman of the Governor’s Covid-19 Task Force, Warren Villagomez, for his part, said, “We need to move at a steady pace, especially as new guidelines are coming out from the CDC. I can assure the public that we continue to build all levels of capacity on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. Thank you for the great cooperation from the people of the CNMI.”
Gov. Ralph DLG Torres said the CNMI will continue moving forward with its vaccination campaign.
“We have started with Tinian and Rota already, and we will soon require executive branch employees to receive their Covid-19 vaccinations,” he added.
“Please don’t let your guard down in terms of vaccination. If you have elders in the family, please encourage them to get their vaccine.”
He said the faster that the community gets vaccinated, the easier it will be for the CNMI to revive its economy and reopen the tourism industry.
“But we’re not doing it because of revenue. We’re not doing it because we need tourists. We’re doing it for our safety and our health, but what that brings in is also an opportunity for our tourism to come back again,” he added.
