A NEWLY arrived individual has been confirmed positive for Covid-19, bringing the total count for the CNMI to 174 individuals since March 28, 2020, the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. said on Tuesday.
The individual was identified by travel screening and confirmed diagnosis through testing on arrival on May 17, 2021, CHCC said, adding that this case’s Covid-19 vaccination had yet to be verified.
CHCC said the individual has been moved to the designated isolation area for close monitoring, and the CHCC Communicable Disease Investigation/Inspection team has initiated contact tracing for contacts with the highest risk of exposure.
Of the 174 cases, 138 were identified by travel screening: 83 from the U.S., 36 from a U.S. territory and 19 from a foreign country.
Thirty-six were identified through community screening, and two deaths were reported in March and April 2020.
As for neighboring Guam, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated the island’s travel risk to level 4: all travel to the island should be avoided due to higher levels of Covid-19.
As of Monday on Guam, there had been a total of 8,109 officially reported cases of Covid-19 with 139 deaths, 90 cases in active isolation, and 7,880 not in active isolation.
CHCC, for its part, said, “Based on what we know about vaccines for other diseases and early data from clinical trials, experts believe that getting a Covid-19 vaccine…helps keep you and your loved ones from getting seriously ill even if you do get Covid-19.
CHCC is urging community members to register for vaccinations at www.vaccinatecnmi.com, or by calling the CHCC call center at 682-SHOT (7468), or registering in person at any vaccination site.
