Island Snapshots – April 2020

By Contributing Author

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Posted on Apr 01 2020

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: CONGRESSIONAL ACTION Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) speaks on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives shortly before the vote on passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security, or “CARES” Act. Access to the House floor was limited to reduce risk of spreading the virus and members observed social distancing protocols throughout proceedings. Sablan achieved his top goals for the new law, including direct payments to the Commonwealth government for schools, healthcare, and other services, unemployment benefits for laid-off workers, and full participation in the national “recovery rebate” for taxpayers. (Contributed Photo)

: LIMITED HOURS Aisles at the Himawari store on Saipan appear deserted last Monday. The company said it is temporarily closing the adjacent restaurant starting today, April 1, “until further notice” and will have limited hours at the store itself. (Krizel Tuazon)

: LIMITED HOURS Aisles at the Himawari store on Saipan appear deserted last Monday. The company said it is temporarily closing the adjacent restaurant starting today, April 1, “until further notice” and will have limited hours at the store itself. (Krizel Tuazon)

: SOCIAL DISTANCING RULE A customer enters the payment center of the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. in Dandan Tuesday afternoon. CUC put up a tent outside the building, where customers wait their turn before going inside the payment center and customer’s service. CUC’s social distancing policy and limited hours due to coronavirus caused a long line of customers early last week. (Ferdie De La Torre)

: OFF LIMITS-As shown in this photo taken at Lao Lao Beach, public beaches are off limits even during non-curfew hours. Police have placed no-entry tapes in public beaches to discourage people from congregating in public areas as the CNMI mandates social distancing as a means to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. (BEA CABRERA)

: A shipment of medical Personal Protective Equipment is received from the Strategic National Stockpile to be sorted and distributed throughout Hawaii, the CNMI, Guam, and American Samoa. FEMA works with the state of Hawaii, CNMI, Guam, and American Samoa to distribute PPE to areas battling care for coronavirus patients. (PPES FOR DISTRIBUTION GRACE SIMONEAU/FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY)

: PUBLIC BEACHES RE-OPENED-People are able to fish again but with the requirement that they maintain a distance of 6 feet away from each other. Beaches and parks now open to the public, and so are boat ramps and docks, but with social distancing still in effect. (KRIZEL TUAZON)

: TOGETHER BUT APART Two people fishing with a rod and reel off a beach on Saipan maintain the 6-foot social distancing requirement. The CNMI government has rescinded a previous order that declared public beaches and pathways off limits to the public. (Krizel Alipio)

: SHOPPING INSTRUCTIONS-With instructions to observe social distancing as a means to prevent the spread of coronavirus infections in the CNMI, grocery shopping has become more complicated, with many stores instructing customers to observe the 6-foot distance among themselves. (KRIZEL TUAZON)

: TRASH FIRE Firefighters extinguish the fire that occurred at a trash bin near a house along Enrique Street near the corner of Texas Road in Chalan Kanoa last Monday morning. Firefighters immediately prevented the blaze from spreading. The Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services has yet to release information about the cause of the fire. (Ferdie De La Torre)

: FIELD HOSPITAL Construction work begun last Thursday on a field hospital the Commonwealth Health Care Corp. is building at the upper level parking lot behind the Commonwealth Health Center. The temporary hospital is being set up as a preparedness and infection control measure in the event the CNMI experiences a surge of patients who need isolated hospital care due to COVID-19. The CNMI is reported to be the first U.S. territory to set up a field hospital. (Krizel Tuazon)

: FIELD HOSPITAL Construction work begun last Thursday on a field hospital the Commonwealth Health Care Corp. is building at the upper level parking lot behind the Commonwealth Health Center. The temporary hospital is being set up as a preparedness and infection control measure in the event the CNMI experiences a surge of patients who need isolated hospital care due to COVID-19. The CNMI is reported to be the first U.S. territory to set up a field hospital. (Krizel Tuazon)

: ANTIVIRAL MEASURE-The cashier’s counters at the newly reopened Himawari grocery store have been fitted with transparent panels as precautionary measures to ensure the safety of its staff and customers. The store is open from 6am to 6pm daily. The adjacent Himawari Restaurant is also open for lunch and dinner but only for take-out. (KRIZEL TUAZON)

: 6 FEET APART People maintain social distancing while withdrawing from the Bank of Hawaii ATM at the Star Sands Plaza in Gualo Rai. (Krizel Tuazon)

: BONDING TIME This family spends one-on-one time at the Micro Beach on Saipan with no other souls in sight in a sign that many residents on the islands are slowly adapting to the social distancing reality of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Krizel Tuazon)

: SHOW OF APPRECIATION McDonald’s Saipan and McDonald’s Guam recently donated food and coffee to first responders and front-liners in both Guam and Saipan. In main photo, McDonald’s Saipan owner/operator Marcia Ayuyu, third from left, and the crew of McDonald’s Middle Road branch hold up the food and drinks they donated to the Commonwealth Health Center. Inset shows CHC staff show the donated food. (Contributed Photo)

: SHOW OF APPRECIATION McDonald’s Saipan and McDonald’s Guam recently donated food and coffee to first responders and front-liners in both Guam and Saipan. In main photo, McDonald’s Saipan owner/operator Marcia Ayuyu, third from left, and the crew of McDonald’s Middle Road branch hold up the food and drinks they donated to the Commonwealth Health Center. Inset shows CHC staff show the donated food. (Contributed Photo)

: TEMPORARY HOSPITAL Work is nearly done on the 50-bed field hospital that is being built at the upper level parking lot behind the Commonwealth Health Center in Garapan. The temporary hospital will be used to handle COVID-19-related cases, should an outbreak happen in the CNMI. (Krizel Tuazon)

: GIFT FOR FRONT-LINERS McDonald’s Saipan and McDonald’s Guam recently donated food and coffee to first responders and front-liners in both Guam and Saipan. Photos show the food items McDonald’s donated to front-liners in Guam. The company also made a similar donation to the CNMI’s front-liners at the Commonwealth Health Center. (Contributed Photo)

: GIFT FOR FRONT-LINERS McDonald’s Saipan and McDonald’s Guam recently donated food and coffee to first responders and front-liners in both Guam and Saipan. Photos show the food items McDonald’s donated to front-liners in Guam. The company also made a similar donation to the CNMI’s front-liners at the Commonwealth Health Center. (Contributed Photo)

: GIFT FOR FRONT-LINERS McDonald’s Saipan and McDonald’s Guam recently donated food and coffee to first responders and front-liners in both Guam and Saipan. Photos show the food items McDonald’s donated to front-liners in Guam. The company also made a similar donation to the CNMI’s front-liners at the Commonwealth Health Center. (Contributed Photo)

: GIFT FOR FRONT-LINERS McDonald’s Saipan and McDonald’s Guam recently donated food and coffee to first responders and front-liners in both Guam and Saipan. Photos show the food items McDonald’s donated to front-liners in Guam. The company also made a similar donation to the CNMI’s front-liners at the Commonwealth Health Center. (Contributed Photo)

: GIFT FOR FRONT-LINERS McDonald’s Saipan and McDonald’s Guam recently donated food and coffee to first responders and front-liners in both Guam and Saipan. Photos show the food items McDonald’s donated to front-liners in Guam. The company also made a similar donation to the CNMI’s front-liners at the Commonwealth Health Center. (Contributed Photo)

: GIFT FOR FRONT-LINERS McDonald’s Saipan and McDonald’s Guam recently donated food and coffee to first responders and front-liners in both Guam and Saipan. Photos show the food items McDonald’s donated to front-liners in Guam. The company also made a similar donation to the CNMI’s front-liners at the Commonwealth Health Center. (Contributed Photo)

: GIFT FOR FRONT-LINERS McDonald’s Saipan and McDonald’s Guam recently donated food and coffee to first responders and front-liners in both Guam and Saipan. Photos show the food items McDonald’s donated to front-liners in Guam. The company also made a similar donation to the CNMI’s front-liners at the Commonwealth Health Center. (Contributed Photo)

: SLOW RETURN TO NORMAL In a sign of the CNMI’s slow return to normalcy, a fisherman tries his luck with a rod-and-reel at a beach on Saipan. (Krizel Tuazon)

: SLOW RETURN TO NORMAL People play at the new and improved basketball court in San Antonio across the Afetnas Market in yet another encouraging sign of life getting back to normal. (Krizel Tuazon)

: TEST KITS This frame grab from a Facebook Live video shows Gov. Ralph DLG Torres announcing late Monday night that 20,000 coronavirus test kits that the CNMI ordered from South Korea have arrived. Other photo shows some of the boxes of test kits that arrived. (Office of the Governor)

: TEST KITS This frame grab from a Facebook Live video shows Gov. Ralph DLG Torres announcing late Monday night that 20,000 coronavirus test kits that the CNMI ordered from South Korea have arrived. Other photo shows some of the boxes of test kits that arrived. (Office of the Governor)

: RELIEF DISTRIBUTION With the participation of its member organizations, the United Filipino Organizations distributed relief goods to some families, starting last Good Friday. To date, a total of 100 bags of 20-lb rice, 200 bags of 10-lb rice, and 200 packs of assorted canned goods have been distributed. UFO president Marcelo V. Masilungan assured that the distribution followed safe distancing protocol. “We would like to thank our business partners, Karidat Social Services and LBC Express (Saipan), for their continued support to the UFO in bringing help to the community,” he said. (UFO)

: FREE MEALS-McDonald’s Saipan is giving away free meals to health care workers and first responders for two weeks from April 22 to May 5 via its “Thank You Meals,” which was launched yesterday at the McDonald’s Middle Road branch. In this photo, police officers avail of their “Thank You Meal.” (BEA CABRERA)

: DONATION TO COTA Hanaivy Babauta, second from left, president of the NMC Business Club, presents on Monday, April 20, 2020, face masks that the club donated for the use of the drivers and staff of the Commonwealth Office of Transit Authority. The club made a similar donation to the security and maintenance staff of Northern Marianas College that same day. (Contributed Photo)

: EARTH DAY DURING A PANDEMIC-Cuki Alvarez picks up trash at the American Memorial Park last Wednesday as part of the celebration of Earth Day. Alvarez was joined by his wife, Mariana Alvarez, in picking up trash after doing their daily exercise around the park. (KRIZEL TUAZON)

: STILL CLOSED FOR BUSINESS Forty-five days since the CNMI went into a quasi-lockdown, many businesses remain closed and these pictures of many closed doors are telling a story of economic devastation for many families and the CNMI economy itself. (Krizel Tuazon)

: STILL CLOSED FOR BUSINESS Forty-five days since the CNMI went into a quasi-lockdown, many businesses remain closed and these pictures of many closed doors are telling a story of economic devastation for many families and the CNMI economy itself. (Krizel Tuazon)

: STILL CLOSED FOR BUSINESS Forty-five days since the CNMI went into a quasi-lockdown, many businesses remain closed and these pictures of many closed doors are telling a story of economic devastation for many families and the CNMI economy itself. (Krizel Tuazon)

: STILL CLOSED FOR BUSINESS Forty-five days since the CNMI went into a quasi-lockdown, many businesses remain closed and these pictures of many closed doors are telling a story of economic devastation for many families and the CNMI economy itself. (Krizel Tuazon)

: STILL CLOSED FOR BUSINESS Forty-five days since the CNMI went into a quasi-lockdown, many businesses remain closed and these pictures of many closed doors are telling a story of economic devastation for many families and the CNMI economy itself. (Krizel Tuazon)

: STILL CLOSED FOR BUSINESS Forty-five days since the CNMI went into a quasi-lockdown, many businesses remain closed and these pictures of many closed doors are telling a story of economic devastation for many families and the CNMI economy itself. (Krizel Tuazon)

: STILL CLOSED FOR BUSINESS Forty-five days since the CNMI went into a quasi-lockdown, many businesses remain closed and these pictures of many closed doors are telling a story of economic devastation for many families and the CNMI economy itself. (Krizel Tuazon)

: STILL CLOSED FOR BUSINESS Forty-five days since the CNMI went into a quasi-lockdown, many businesses remain closed and these pictures of many closed doors are telling a story of economic devastation for many families and the CNMI economy itself. (Krizel Tuazon)

: STILL CLOSED FOR BUSINESS Forty-five days since the CNMI went into a quasi-lockdown, many businesses remain closed and these pictures of many closed doors are telling a story of economic devastation for many families and the CNMI economy itself. (Krizel Tuazon)

: STILL CLOSED FOR BUSINESS Forty-five days since the CNMI went into a quasi-lockdown, many businesses remain closed and these pictures of many closed doors are telling a story of economic devastation for many families and the CNMI economy itself. (Krizel Tuazon)

: STILL CLOSED FOR BUSINESS Forty-five days since the CNMI went into a quasi-lockdown, many businesses remain closed and these pictures of many closed doors are telling a story of economic devastation for many families and the CNMI economy itself. (Krizel Tuazon)

: STILL CLOSED FOR BUSINESS Forty-five days since the CNMI went into a quasi-lockdown, many businesses remain closed and these pictures of many closed doors are telling a story of economic devastation for many families and the CNMI economy itself. (Krizel Tuazon)

: STILL CLOSED FOR BUSINESS More than a month after the CNMI went into a semi-lockdown, many businesses remain closed but some are cautiously reopening but with strict distancing rules and mostly for to-go services only. (Krizel Tuazon)

: STILL CLOSED FOR BUSINESS More than a month after the CNMI went into a semi-lockdown, many businesses remain closed but some are cautiously reopening but with strict distancing rules and mostly for to-go services only. (Krizel Tuazon)

: STILL CLOSED FOR BUSINESS More than a month after the CNMI went into a semi-lockdown, many businesses remain closed but some are cautiously reopening but with strict distancing rules and mostly for to-go services only. (Krizel Tuazon)

: STILL CLOSED FOR BUSINESS More than a month after the CNMI went into a semi-lockdown, many businesses remain closed but some are cautiously reopening but with strict distancing rules and mostly for to-go services only. (Krizel Tuazon)

: STILL CLOSED FOR BUSINESS More than a month after the CNMI went into a semi-lockdown, many businesses remain closed but some are cautiously reopening but with strict distancing rules and mostly for to-go services only. (Krizel Tuazon)

: STILL CLOSED FOR BUSINESS More than a month after the CNMI went into a semi-lockdown, many businesses remain closed but some are cautiously reopening but with strict distancing rules and mostly for to-go services only. (Krizel Tuazon)

: STILL CLOSED FOR BUSINESS More than a month after the CNMI went into a semi-lockdown, many businesses remain closed but some are cautiously reopening but with strict distancing rules and mostly for to-go services only. (Krizel Tuazon)

: THANK YOU, FRONT-LINERS!-Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, front row third left, and Federal Emergency Management Agency staff receive the face masks and gift bags the Tan Siu Lin Foundation donated to front-liners yesterday at the JP Center. TanHoldings chief executive officer Jerry Tan, front row fifth left, are joined by company executives in paying tribute to the front-liners that are helping the CNMI battle the coronavirus pandemic. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

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