He said the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. and the Covid-19 Task Force, which he chairs, have inspected the site.
He said they are working with CNMI Homeland Security & Emergency Management and the Department of Corrections to ensure that the shelter is suitable and can be transformed into a medical facility.
“The juvenile detention facility is also ready. We have 25 rooms up there that could be used as alternate care sites,” he added.
If the juvenile facility is “maxed out,” he said Ada gym will be used as another alternate care site.
“Ada Gym was part of the mass prophylaxis plan 10 years ago during the H1N1 outbreak. We can still use it,” Villagomez said.
Rota’s public schools in Songsong and Sinapalo and the gymnasium and library on Tinian will also serve as alternate care sites, he added.
Unlike the United States, which has designated hospitals to handle Covid-19 cases, the CNMI has only one hospital and it is best to use alternate facilities to segregate potential patients, Gov. Ralph DLG Torres said on Wednesday.
The Commonwealth Healthcare Corp., Villagomez said, has requested the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to provide the CNMI with additional resources, including equipment, protective gear, and medical supplies.
