HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — Five cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed among residents housed at a pair of Tier III shelters, the Department of Public Health and Social Services confirmed Friday.
The cases were identified Thursday. Four cases were found at Guam Pak Warehouse in Tamuning and one was confirmed at the Astumbo Gym. Both locations serve as Tier III shelters operated by the American Red Cross.
The confirmed cases were announced days after a case of influenza was detected at the Tamuning shelter, which raised concerns from local doctors, who noted the shelters act like a “petri dish” for disease.
Given recent COVID pandemic experiences over the last few years, The Guam Daily Post questioned Public Health officials on surveillance and monitoring efforts in place at the shelters.
The Post asked how many in shelters have been identified as close contacts and whether COVID vaccination records were sought from them to determine the quarantine procedures that followed.
The Red Cross, on the same day the COVID cases emerged, issued a statement to address the influenza B cases it encountered at the shelters. The statement reported that in response it would implement the same health and safety measures as used in 2020 for the pandemic.
“These precautions include encouraging masks, health screenings, enhanced cleaning procedures and encouraging social distancing,” the Red Cross stated. “As we have throughout the pandemic, we’ll continue to follow the safety guidance from the (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The health, care and comfort of all shelter residents is our top priority.”
Concerns with response
Thus far, response has been reactive, not preventative, Dr. Vince Akimoto said, which has him concerned, given that the island is only now recovering from the pandemic and the response from the Red Cross and Public Health has, in his opinion, been slow.
“Red Cross does not seem to be able to move the patients out of the Tamuning warehouse,” Akimoto told the Post on Friday. “Those people are almost certainly now infected with COVID-19. If so, many will get very sick over the next five days.”
According to Public Health spokesperson Don Sulat, the agency is conducting testing and assessing the situation.
“We’re expecting to have a report out sometime next week,” he said.
Akimoto said he believes the slow movement to stifle a COVID outbreak could be motivated by money.
“Supposedly, GovGuam is moving slowly because they want (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) to pay for everything. Since the situation has now transformed into a COVID outbreak, the $300 million in COVID money being hoarded at the Bank of Guam should be available to pay for everything,” Akimoto said, referencing unused funds given to the local government for the COVID pandemic.
The Post reached out to Krystal Paco-San Agustin, the governor’s director of communications, on whether pandemic funds would now be available for use. A response wasn’t received as of press time Friday.
A shelter for residents displaced by Typhoon Mawar is shown Saturday, June 10, 2023, along Ypao Road in Tamuning. The American Red Cross is now facing an outbreak of COVID-19 cases at the long-term, post-typhoon shelters it operates.
