THE Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. board of trustees is accepting comments on proposed amendments to the School and Child Care Facilities and Communicable Disease Rules and Regulations to require eligible students to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
The current regulations require students to be vaccinated against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, and other communicable diseases.
To this list, the proposed new rule would add Covid-19 and its variants.
No child is allowed to enroll in any public or private school within the CNMI unless evidence is presented to the enrolling officer that the child has had all applicable vaccinations or immunizations.
Valid health certificates will be required as proof upon enrollment.
CHCC developed and adopted these rules and regulations, and thus has the authority to amend them in accordance with CNMI law.
For his part, Attorney General Edward E. Manibusan reviewed and approved the proposals for form and legal sufficiency on Friday, Oct. 29.
The notice of proposed revisions to the regulations were published in Vol. 43, No. 10 of the Commonwealth Register in the section on proposed and newly adopted regulation.
It was posted in convenient places at the civic center and in local government offices in each senatorial district, both in English and in the local languages.
Copies of the notice are available upon request from Heather Pangelinan, the CHCC administrator for mother, infant, child and adolescent health.
It can also be found online, along with the proposed amendments, at https://cnmilaw.org/pdf/cnmiregister/2021_Volume_43/2021_Number_10.pdf
To provide comments, send or deliver your comments with your data, views, or arguments to CHCC Chief Executive Officer Esther L. Muna with the title “Attn: Revision to CHCC School and Child Care Facilities Regulations, and Communicable Diseases Rules and Regulations” via e-mail at esther.muna@dph.gov.mp
Comments are due within 30 days from the date the notice was published, a comment period that ends on Sunday, Nov. 28, CHCC public information officer Guillermo C. Lifoifoi said on Monday.
Lifoifoi said after the comment period ends, the CHCC board will meet to consider the comments and, if requested, issue a statement for or against its adoption.
The regulations will then need to be approved by the AG.
If approved by the AG, the regulations will be published and will become effective 10 days after publication and the AG’s approval.
