3 new cases of COVID-19

Three more people in the CNMI have been confirmed to have contracted COVID-19, raising the CNMI’s total to 19 cases.

These new cases, identified through contact tracing, are in stable condition and are isolated at Kanoa Resort.

The three cases are all males, ages 19, 25, and 27 years old, asymptomatic, and are contacts of previously diagnosed COVID-19 cases who reside in the CNMI.  Specimens were collected, processed, and confirmed positive at CHCC Laboratory yesterday.

These cases are being monitored by Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. medical teams. CHCC has already initiated contact tracing for the most immediate contacts (close family members, friends, and associates) of these new confirmed cases.

It is not clear whether these cases tested positive because of current infections or if the tests are detecting viral debris of a previous infection from which they have already recovered. Contract tracing evidence indicates that these cases were most likely exposed through a small gathering of people from different households.

The CNMI’s COVID-19 count is now at 19 cases with five active cases, 12 recoveries, and two deaths.

Meanwhile, after three days of being suspended, mass testing in the CNMI will resume today, May 12, 2020.

In an advisory last night, the Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force said that the mass testing, which it calls Community-Based Testing Initiative, will resume today at the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport.

Those who have been placed on priority scheduling before testing was suspended last week have been rescheduled for this week.  For those who have been scheduled, should you not make it to your testing date, you will be placed on the waitlist to be rescheduled for the next availability. Contact the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. Info Line at (670) 285-1672/1854/1352/1542 or through the new registration website, which will be released soon, to reschedule if you missed your testing date.

The new testing schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, 9am – 4pm.

Monday, Thursday, and Saturday, 1pm – 4pm.

Note that testing will only be available for registered individuals.

A new registration website will be made available to the public soon. The task force will announce the website soon to include new questions to assist residents in registering for testing.

A total of 19 persons, including the five active COVID-19 cases, are currently in isolation at the designated Alternative Care Site at Kanoa Resort in Susupe.

Besides the five confirmed COVID-19 cases, the other 14 individuals were identified through contact tracing and are also being monitored at Kanoa Resort, according to press secretary Kevin Bautista.

“This is done to ensure proper protection of them and the community to eliminate the risk of potential exposure,” said Bautista.

Additionally, there are 11 individuals who are in quarantine at the Pacific Islands Club in San Antonio. These 11 individuals did not take part in the community-based testing that is being offered once passengers land on Saipan and at PIC.

According to Bautista, once a person tests negative, they will be able to leave, but if they test positive for the virus, then they will be isolated and monitored at Kanoa Resort.

To date, there are 16 confirmed COVID-19 positive cases in the CNMI, with two deaths and 12 recoveries.

COVID-19 in Guam

The Guam Public Health Laboratory was closed on May 10 and there were no tests run. GPHL resumed services on May 11. COVID-19 test results are reported from multiple labs at varying times of the day.

To date, there have been 151 cases in Guam confirmed through COVID-19 testing, with five deaths and 124 released from isolation.

According to the Joint Information Center, when a patient is released from isolation, he or she is no longer considered infectious.

The Department of Public Health and Social Services uses Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s test-based criteria for releasing patients from isolation. This requires COVID-19 patients to have two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart before being released from isolation.

All remaining cases in Guam are in isolation.