THREE unvaccinated individuals were hospitalized as a result of Covid-19 and were experiencing severe symptoms, Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. Chief Executive Officer Esther L. Muna said Friday.
The individuals had been isolated and were being actively monitored, she added.
Last week, the CNMI reported 98 new positive Covid-19 cases in a single day, the largest so far in Commonwealth history.
On Thursday, Nov. 25, CHCC said an additional 45 cases were confirmed through surveillance testing.
The next day, Nov. 26, 43 more individuals were confirmed positive for Covid-19.
Of the 43 new cases, CHCC said, 24 were identified via community testing, and 19 via contact tracing. The vaccination statuses of the 43 new cases are: 33 fully vaccinated, seven unvaccinated, one partially vaccinated, and two were ineligible for vaccination, CHCC said.
It added that since Oct. 28, 2021, there have been 401 new cases, of which 173 were identified via contact tracing, 216 by community testing, and 12 through travel testing.
CHCC said unvaccinated individuals are at risk for serious illness from Covid-19, and unvaccinated individuals spread the virus at a higher rate than vaccinated individuals, thereby increasing the spread and risk of serious illness toward other unvaccinated individuals.
CHCC highly encourages unvaccinated individuals to get vaccinated against Covid-19 to help prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death.
“Again, we’re encouraging everyone to please get unvaccinated individuals to get vaccinated against Covid-19,” CHCC CEO Muna said. “It is free, it is available. We’re trying to make it more accessible for everyone to come in to prevent severe illness, hospitalization, or death, and even against the widely circulating Delta variant.”
She added, “We want to prevent hospitalizations, so…as much as possible, we need to all work together…. If you’re unvaccinated, there are more risks, hospitalizations, and severe illnesses.”
She said clusters continue to expand.
To register for Covid-19 vaccines or booster shots, visit www.vaccinatecnmi.com
To register for community-based testing, visit https://covidtesting.chcc.health
If you have concerns regarding a possible exposure to a positive case, call the CHCC contact tracers no later than 9 p.m. at (670) 285-1942 or (670) 286-1710/29.
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.
The community is reminded to practice the 3 Ws: Wear a mask, wash your hands, and watch your distance, especially around individuals outside of your household.
