THE islands’ 133rd Covid-19 case since March 28, 2020 was reported on Monday.
Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. spokesman Lee Tenorio said the latest case was identified by travel screening and confirmed diagnosis through testing upon arrival, he added. The individual has been safely in quarantine and was moved to the designated isolation area for close monitoring, Tenorio said.
CHCC has already initiated contact tracing for the most immediate contacts of the new confirmed case, including passengers on the same flight, he added.
Currently, four individuals are in isolation and 131 have been released. There had been two deaths — the first in March 2020, and the second in April 2020.
Of the CNMI’s total cases, 107 were diagnosed upon arrival at the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport; 11 through community testing; and 16, contact tracing.
On neighboring Guam, as of Sunday, there had been a total of 7,587 officially reported cases of Covid-19 with 129 deaths, 103 cases in active isolation and 7,355 not in active isolation.
Vaccination and Covid-19 tests
In related news, CHCC Chief Executive Officer Esther Muna said about 10% of the CNMI population has received the Covid-19 vaccine.
She said CHCC is also advising the community to disregard a recent posting regarding “Required Proof of Negative Covid-19 Test for All Air Passengers Entering the United States.”
Due to numerous requests to offer a cheaper option since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention order was issued, CHCC wanted to announce a more convenient testing option for CNMI residents if they need it.
“Unfortunately, our messaging…may have caused confusion on testing protocols. Before your scheduled travel plans, please check in with your airlines if a Covid-19 test is required and if it is, which type is needed. CHCC provides two types of testing options for travelers,” CHCC said.
For more information about these tests, visit https://chcc.gov.mp/covid19testing.php
