IN addition to wearing a mask, washing your hands and watching your distance individuals should also avoid the 3Cs: crowded places with many people nearby, close-contact settings, such as close-range conversations, and closed spaces with poor ventilation, Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation Chief Executive Officer Esther L. Muna said Tuesday.
According to the World Health Organization, she added, the risk is higher in places where these factors overlap, even as restrictions are lifted.
The WHO advises that individuals avoid crowded places, limit time in enclosed spaces, maintain at least a one-meter distance from others, when possible, open windows and doors for ventilation; keep hands clean, cover coughs and sneezes; wear a mask if requested or if physical distancing is not possible; and to stay home or seek urgent medical care if feeling unwell.
“This is especially important as we gather for the holidays,” Muna said.
“Be creative. Open windows. Ensure that everyone in your gathering [do not] crowd, to make sure that [you and] your loved ones are safe.”
Muna said there are still a lot of unknowns with the Omicron variant of Covid-19, especially on how it will impact the health system and the community.
She urged community members to obtain their booster shots of the Covid-19 vaccine when due.
“They are just another defense against this virus…. We don’t know what impact the Omicron variant will have on this community. We want to be able to have the best protection,” she added.
“I have to say that I am very, very happy that a large number of individuals have been vaccinated… but we still have individuals that still need to get their first shot,” she said.
As of Dec. 22, 2021, CHCC said 92.5% of the CNMI’s eligible population had been fully vaccinated.
