COMMONWEALTH Healthcare Corp. Chief Executive Officer Esther L. Muna said there was no evidence of a widespread community transmission in the CNMI.
“And for every public health emergency, there is a recovery plan,” she added. “Vaccinations, preventative measures implemented at schools, testing, isolation, [and] contact tracing [are all] part of that plan. All of these tools prevent widespread community transmission…. That’s what we’re seeing.”
Based on the contact tracing and investigation being conducted by CHCC, Muna said two recent community clusters of positive Covid-19 cases appeared to be highest in households with children who are ineligible to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
But she also noted that secondary and tertiary contacts to these clusters tested negative for the virus, which she credits to the high vaccination rate in the CNMI.
Muna said vaccinated individuals can still become infected and could potentially spread the virus, but this happens at much lower rates compared to unvaccinated individuals.
“What we are seeing underscores the need to get vaccinated and protect not only yourself but others who are not vaccinated.… [The] CNMI having over 83% of eligible adults vaccinated and over 89% of adults already receiving their first dose [have] substantially reduced the burden of disease and prevented serious illness and interrupted the chains of transmission,” she said.
On Tuesday, Nov. 9, CHCC reported that all recent positive Covid-19 community cases were on Saipan.
If you are experiencing symptoms of Covid-19, such as fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, or new loss of taste or smell, see your provider or call the CHCC Tele-Triage hotline at 233-2067.
