118 to be released from quarantine

A total of 118 individuals who have completed the mandatory 14-day quarantine will be released from the Pacific Island Club isolation site in San Antonio this week, April 6 to April 12.

This group, composed of those who flew into the CNMI from Guam last March 23, were first quarantined at the Kanoa Resort in Susupe following Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ directive that required individuals entering the CNMI to be quarantined first at a designated site for 14 days.

Once an individual completes the quarantine period, the Commonwealth Health Care Corp. will issue that individual a certificate indicating that they have successfully completed quarantine, according to a statement from press secretary Kevin Bautista.

The certificate does not mean that the individual is not at risk for possible infection of COVID-19. They are still advised to follow precautionary measures as they re-enter the community, such as staying home, social distancing in public places, and avoiding unnecessary travel except for grocery shopping and picking up food, medicine, and essential supplies.

According to the Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force chair Warren Villagomez, two more individuals who went under the mandatory 14-day quarantine two weeks ago are being released today, April 7, from the Pacific Island Clubs in San Antonio.

As of yesterday, Villagomez confirmed that 23 individuals were released last April 6, making a total of 25 having been released as of today.

Following the eight positive COVID-19 cases last April 2, Bautista confirmed that, as of April 6, at 4pm, there are currently no new “persons under investigation” in the CNMI.

Bautista also confirmed that CHCC is still awaiting the results of the 10 pending specimen that were sent out recently.

The CNMI saw its first COVID-19-related death last March 30, with a 70-year-old man in quarantine who died before his test results came back positive for coronavirus. Bautista has confirmed that the male individual is officially the first COVID-19-related death in the CNMI.

According to Saipan Tribune archives, the CNMI saw its first two positive cases last March 27, four confirmed positive COVID-19 cases last April 2, and two more positive cases last April 3, for a total of eight confirmed positive cases in the CNMI as of April 6.

Out of eight, four are female individuals, four are male individuals, including the man who died.

As of April 2, the CNMI has submitted a total of 33 specimens for COVID-19 testing at the Guam Public Health Laboratory. Out of the 33 specimens, 23 have been processed, giving the CNMI a result of eight positive cases and 15 negative cases.

COVID-19 in Guam

Guam’s Department of Public Health and Social Service tested 38 individuals for COVID-19 last April 5. Of those 38, 17 tested positive through Guam’s DPHSS and 21 tested negative.

According to the Guam Daily Post, Guam also saw its first infant patient, a 1-year-old child who tested positive for COVID-19 among the island’s 110 confirmed positive cases.

There are five other children who have also tested positive, ranging in ages from 10 to 19, according to Linda Unpingco Denorcey, DPHSS director. She also stated that the 1-year-old was infected due to household contact, but did not provide information if the children are within the same family.

As of April 6 out of the 110 positive cases in Guam, 25 people have recovered from COVID-19.
According to the Guam Daily Post, Guam’s Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said, “No governor in this country knows how long this crisis will last, but I know that Guam has outlasted every crisis for thousands of years. That is just who we are—and that won’t change because of COVID-19.”