COMMONWEALTH Healthcare Corp. Chief Executive Officer Esther L. Muna on Friday said the recent rise in positive Covid-19 community cases is linked to a non-compliant essential worker who is no longer in the CNMI.
The individual, who traveled from Guam, was identified through contact tracing, and brought back to the government-designated quarantine site to quarantine, but left the CNMI without being authorized.
Muna said an essential worker is anyone classified as such by the federal government whose work revolves around life, safety, and health.
She said changes to protocols for essential workers are being discussed, but added that these changes are not intended to prevent essential workers from doing their work.
“Essential workers still need to do their essential work… That’s why we’re asking everyone that [is] granted this privilege…or authority, to remind themselves that they have to protect the community as well,” she said.
An “essential worker” is listed in the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers Advisory List of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Cybersecurity, and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA. See http://www.cisa.gov/critical-infrastrucutre-sectors
The CNMI, while recognizing CISA categories, has established a local process to consider modified quarantine for certain essential work critical for the Commonwealth.
But simply being in a CISA category should not be perceived as a reason to be exempted from local procedures nor does it confer “approved essential worker” for the CNMI.
As per recent CNMI Covid-19 travel protocols, all travelers are encouraged to fill out their health declaration form prior to arrival at https://governor.gov.mp/covid-19/travel
Essential workers requesting entry into the Commonwealth must complete an essential worker request section within the online CNMI Mandatory Declaration Form at least three days prior to arrival.
The request will be reviewed by the CNMI Territorial Health Office for a decision.
Not all requests are automatically approved.
Travelers who are requesting Critical or Essential Work approval will be evaluated based on the strength of work justification, point of origin, negative PCR test results dated no more than 72 hours prior to arrival, Covid-19 vaccinations, and transit/flight plans.
Grantees are required to practice Covid-19 precautions at all times and abide by other establishments’ social distancing expectations.
Essential workers may report to work after receiving their test results from specimen collected on the day of arrival and approval of job-site assessment.
Travelers in this category are urged to communicate with the CNMI Territorial Health Official via travelers.health@chcc.health in advance of planning their trip to the CNMI.
For comments, concerns, and inquiries regarding entry or quarantine protocols, call 670-488-0211 or email travel@vaccinatecnmi.com
The hotline is available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Sunday.
If you are experiencing Covid-19 symptoms, contact the CHCC Tele-Triage Hotline at 670-233-2067, which operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
