THE CNMI may ease some of the quarantine restrictions for inbound passengers while still following the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. Chief Executive Officer Esther L. Muna said on Friday.
“We know that there is minimal risk, but we also know that with the number of people who are vaccinated, we can definitely ease some of the quarantine restrictions,” she added.
More details will be announced sometime this week, she said.
Community testing continues as well as community outreach to bring the vaccine to those who lack transportation.
As of Friday, 60 people were vaccinated as a result of the community outreach, Muna reported.
“Having the outreach is definitely important…. The numbers are sort of at a plateau. We’re not seeing the numbers that we want to see,” she said.
A valid identification card is required in order to obtain the Covid-19 vaccine, she added. Insurance cards may also be presented, though it is not mandatory, Muna said as she reiterated that the vaccine is free of charge.
“Whatever it is [that they are concerned about regarding the vaccination], we would like to hear about it. If there’s something that we can do to remove the barrier, we would like to work with them,” she said.
CNMI Covid-19 Task Force Chairman Warren Villagomez, for his part, said a second vaccination site will open at the multi-purpose center in Susupe with a dry run this Wednesday, April 28.
“[This is] to make sure that all the details [and] logistics are in place before a team of vaccinators [with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services] arrives on island,” he said.
The goal, he noted, is to ensure that those residing in the southern areas of the island will have access to the Covid-19 vaccine.
Villagomez said the CNMI Covid-19 hotline is still open 24/7.
As of Monday, 46% of the CNMI population had been vaccinated.
Of the total 39,254 vaccinated residents, 17,596 people have been fully vaccinated: 15,311 with the Pfizer vaccine and 2,285 with the Moderna vaccine.
The first doses of the vaccines have been administered to 21,658 residents, 18,764 of whom received the Pfizer vaccine and 2,894, the Moderna vaccine.
Since March of last year, the CNMI has reported 164 positive Covid-19 cases, 128 of which were identified through travel screening.
