‘29% now fully vaccinated’

Twenty-nine percent of the CNMI’s adult population is now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. chief executive officer Esther Muña.

Speaking at the governor’s news briefing yesterday, Muña said the 29% represents those who have already received both their first and second shots of the vaccine, while those who have had their first shot already comprise 39% of the adult population in the CNMI.

Right now, the CNMI is using three brands of COVID-19 vaccines: Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. Both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two inoculations to be deemed fully vaccinated. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine requires only one shot.

As of April 1, Muña said, the CNMI has 11,700 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines and 5,000 doses of the Moderna vaccines. About 400 doses of the Johnson & Johnson/Jessen COVID-19 vaccine will be arriving soon, she added.

Muña also disclosed that there have been no new cases that have been identified from the familial cluster last March 12. “Our last community-based testing shows all negative results. As of March 30, additional interviews of cases have not yielded any evidentiary links to possible COVID-19 exposure sources,” said Muña.

Because it’s been a year since the COVID-19 hit the CNMI, Muña says the situation now with getting personal protective equipment has become manageable. She assured that there has been no shortage of PPEs. “We managed to get those supplies to us in preparation for it [COVID-19 pandemic] but we have more than enough right now,” she said.

With 39% of the CNMI’s adult population having already had their first inoculations, Muña said now is not the time to slack off. Although 39% is a good percentage, Muña said it’s not the number that CHCC is aiming for but she hopes that everyone will get the correct information they need to make the decision to get vaccinated.

“Again, we’re asking everyone to stay the course of getting back to the next normal. There’s been an uptick around the nation so with the response we are getting for vaccinations, we are definitely CNMI strong,” said Muña. “But we want to beat the virus, we want to make sure we are safe. We need to get all the protection we can, practicing three W’s, getting vaccinated for ourselves and our loved ones, because we deserve to live and enjoy our time with our families and friends,” she added.