DUE to the continuous increase in the number of Covid-19 cases on island, the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. and the Governor’s Covid-19 Task Force will partner with the Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services to conduct a Covid-19 antigen drive-thru testing on Saipan starting today, Monday, Dec. 13, 2021.
The locations and testing dates:
• Kagman Fire Station – Monday, Wednesday, Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Garapan Fire Station – Monday, Wednesday, Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Susupe Fire Station – Monday, Wednesday, Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The drive-thru antigen testing initiative is open to all community members, and no registration is needed. But walk-ups will not be accommodated.
Those who want to participate must bring a physical identification documentation or ID with full name and date of birth. A phone number may be requested for contact tracing purposes.
CHCC said the DFEMS community-based testing initiative is for surveillance purposes.
According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, antigen testing can quickly identify people with infection. Results will be available after about 15-30 minutes.
For individuals who will test positive for Covid-19, CHCC said they will be contacted by the Communicable Disease Investigation/Inspection Team to begin their isolation.
CHCC said individuals exposed to a person who tested positive for Covid-19 should wait five to seven days before taking the antigen test.
Individuals who are not experiencing Covid-19 symptoms five to seven days after their exposure to a person who may have infection should avail themselves of the free DFEMS antigen testing, CHCC said.
“Getting tested for Covid-19 does not improve response to the illness, nor does it reduce the risk of contracting or transmitting the disease. People who are tested and have a negative result are still vulnerable to the virus,” CHCC said.
If you are experiencing Covid-19 symptoms like coughing, fever, shortness of breath, or new loss of taste or smell, consult your health care provider right away or call the CHCC Tele-Triage at 233-2067, CHCC said.
Unvaccinated individuals are encouraged to get vaccinated or get a booster shot against Covid-19 to help prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and death, CHCC added.
Citing data gathered from clinical trials, CHCC said vaccine effectiveness wanes “after the primary series but protection remains high against severe disease and hospitalization.”
Register for an initial series or booster shot at www.vaccinatecnmi.com
