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COVID-19 community testing expands to Tinian, Rota
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Posted on May 18 2020
File photo shows the mass testing that’s being held at the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport. The tests are free for everyone. (KRIZEL TUAZON)
In partnership with the mayors’ offices, COVID-19 testing will now expand to include Tinian and Rota starting today, May 18, 2020.
In addition, the registration portal for all islands will now be using the Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force site at www.governor.gov.mp/covid-19/testing.
The task force, Commonwealth Healthcare Corp., and TurnKey Solutions optimized the Office of the Governor’s website to reflect the current testing schedule and locations as well as available slots. This information will be updated routinely.
At the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport, there are workstations available at Station 5 (located at the tour bus parking lot near the commuter terminal) for community members who have not registered. You will only be registered at Station 5 and your testing date will be based on the next available slot.
For businesses with 50 or more employees and for all government agencies, contact the Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force hotline at 287-0046/0489/1089 for information on group registrations.
In a statement last Friday, the task force and CJCC stressed that testing for COVID-19 is not mandatory but is another tool to help the detect and contain the SARS-COV2 virus, the virus that causes COVID-19.
The Task Force and CHCC note that it is important to remember that testing is only a tool to help combat the virus by better containing it. “Community testing will help us to identify people who may be infected with the virus, especially those who may be pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic, so we can direct these people to the appropriate care, contain the virus, and prevent its spread using tools such as quarantine, isolation, and contact tracing. Community testing may also help us understand how widespread the virus is in the community,” the statement said.
It also stressed that getting tested for COVID-19 does not improve response to the illness, nor does it reduce the risk of contracting or transmitting the disease. “Our goal is to provide results as quickly as possible within a reasonable time-frame. People who are tested and have a negative result are still vulnerable to the virus,” the statement said. (PR)
