SENATOR Paul A. Manglona on Wednesday asked Gov. Ralph DLG Torres to use the CNMI’s American Rescue Plan Act funds to further assist the Covid-19 Task Force in opening more testing centers with extended period to accommodate people who want to be tested.
In his letter to the governor, Manglona said the CNMI just had its “deadliest week yet with the Covid-19 pandemic.” He noted that the number of Covid-19 related deaths went up from 14 to 18 in just two days.
Manglona at the same time would like to thank the Covid-19 Task Force “for all the hard work and continued efforts in combatting the Covid-19 pandemic.”
However, “despite all our best efforts, we will continue to see a rise in confirmed positive cases, hospitalizations, and deaths if we do not have adequate testing capabilities to maximize the prevention undertaking.”
Manglona said he believes that testing should be widely available and immediately “escalated to promptly test as many individuals who may have come into contact with a positively tested individual.”
“This is the only way we will know how many asymptomatic carriers there are in our islands,” he said.
The senator said he heard stories about individuals who were on the contact tracing list and had to wait for up to four days for the task force personnel to come to their residence and conduct the test.
He said individuals who were experiencing symptoms had to wait three to four days for task force personnel to come.
Also, individuals who were tested negative but live in the same household as a positively tested individual were not afforded another test to confirm the initial negative test, Manglona said.
“While I agree that we must take a comprehensive approach — vaccinations, boosters, contact tracing of infections, social distancing, handwashing/sanitation, voluntary self-quarantine measures, strict measures at health institutions, and the like — we all know the most effective way to prevent infections and save lives is breaking the chain of transmission. To do this effectively, we must test and isolate,” Manglona said.
He noted that Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. Medical Director Dr. Beth Kohnen said during the early phase of pandemic that “when there is community transmission, it is not just in one village. Assume it is everywhere. Assume you have it. Assume everyone has it.”
“We cannot be certain as to who are carriers of this virus, we need to continue being vigilant in our testing,” Manglona said. “We must administer tests liberally and promptly, especially when it comes to possible exposure. This has been proven to be very effective in many places that have a robust diagnostic capability.”
It is for this reason that “I cannot overemphasize the need to assist our hardworking Covid-19 Task Force with ARPA money in opening more testing centers with expanded days and hours so that individuals who are experiencing Covid-19 symptoms or who were potentially exposed to positively tested individuals could be tested immediately,” Manglona said.
