Minority calls for mandatory shutdown of all social gatherings

The House of Representative minority bloc is calling for a mandatory Commonwealth-wide shutdown of all social get-togethers.

In a letter to Gov. Ralph DLG Torres yesterday, the House minority bloc—composed of six representatives—urged the governor to declare a mandatory Commonwealth-wide “lockdown” on all social gatherings in any public venue for at least the next two weeks.

“Despite your emergency declaration and public outreach urging residents to stay home, we continue to receive reports from worried citizens about parties, novenas, cockfights, crowded gaming establishments, [among others],” they said. “We believe that a higher level of enforcement is necessary at this point, and we urge you to take that next step. As soon as possible, we need a mandatory Commonwealth-wide lockdown on social gatherings in any public venue for at least the next two weeks.”

Minority leader Rep. Edwin K. Propst (Ind-Saipan), in a video stream Sunday evening, said that members of the community are still congregating, gathering for parties, novenas, and cockfighting, despite the government’s call for everyone to stay home and practice social distancing.

“We are better than this. We can do better than this. We have to cooperate before our government has to do lockdowns and come in and declare things that we don’t want to be done to us. …We have to protect those that are most vulnerable in this community,” Propst said.

Further, the legislators also urged Torres, in the letter, to implement a strict, mandatory quarantine for all incoming travelers, enforceable by fines and penalties, similar to what has been recently ordered by Hawaii’s Gov. David Ige, and in accordance with the CNMI Emergency Health Powers Act.

The governor recently ordered for a more stringent 14-day quarantine for all travelers coming into the CNMI, which took effect yesterday; violators would be arrested and confined.

The minority also urged the governor to utilize available technology to make remote participation in all of the administration’s meetings possible, in line with the directive to practice of social distancing as issued by Torres under Executive Order 2020-04, and upon advice of public health experts.

Four of the minority members, Propst, Rep. Tina Sablan (Ind-Saipan), Rep. Richard Lizama (Ind-Saipan), and Rep. Donald Manglona (Ind-Saipan), attended the governor’s recent COVID-19 briefing via a group call, as a conscientious effort to abide by the directives on social distancing. Rep. Sheila Babauta (ind-Saipan) and Rep. Edmund Villagomez (Ind-Saipan) were physically present at the meeting.

“In the spirit of unity, we continue to hope for your favorable response to our requests for greater financial transparency from your administration, and for amendments to your emergency directives in order to expand protections for the Commonwealth’s citizens and businesses,” the letter said.

The minority’s call for amendments to the directives include protecting people from losing their homes, livelihoods, and access to utilities; taxpayers’ relief from upcoming deadlines and penalties; and for government employees being called to work, health protection and assurance toward flexibility and access to sick leave if needed to care for themselves and their families.